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Students in 52 provinces, cities come back to school

February 24, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

A student washes hands with sanitiser (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – As of February 24, schools in 52 provinces and cities reopened to their students. The 11 remaining provinces and cities are considering the pandemic situation in their localities to make decisions on when their schools can reopen .

The Ministry of Education and Training has requested local departments of education and training and educational institutions nationwide to strictly implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures, especially when students come back to school.

Schools are urged to stay vigilant against the pandemic, and proactively carry out prevention and control measures to ensure safety for students, with the focus on disinfecting classes, teaching and learning tools and toys.

Students in 52 provinces, cities come back to school hinh anh 2

Kindergarten children maintain 1m distance with friends (Photo: VNA)

Schools are also requested to coordinate with parents to keep a close watch on students’ health while they are at home and at school.

The Ministry of Education and Training also asked schools to actively build study plans for students to ensure the quality of their study after a long holiday./.

VNA

Prime Minister orders quick vaccination for people

February 24, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs a Cabinet’s meeting with the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on February 24 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has instructed the quick vaccination for people as more than 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in Vietnam.

Chairing a Cabinet’s meeting with the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on February 24, the PM said Vietnam aims to provide COVID-19 vaccine shots to all people.

However, as the supply of vaccine cannot meet demand at the same time, priority should be given to certain groups in line with the Government’s resolution, he said, stressing the principle of high-risk groups and pandemic-affected areas coming first, followed by those with lower risks.

More vaccine will be imported in the future to serve domestic demands, the PM said while reminding people and authorities at all levels to continue with strict epidemic prevention measures.

He stressed the need to persist with the twin targets of controlling the pandemic and boosting economic development at the same time.

PM Phuc lauded the efforts of localities in controlling the pandemic.

Regarding the “rescue” of goods in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh and Hai Duong, the Government leader asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to work with Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Health to design procedures to quickly sell agricultural products in pandemic-hit localities.

He also requested media agencies to strengthen communications on preventive measures against COVID-19../.

VNA

VNA seeks nod for transporting Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam

February 24, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

VNA seeks nod for transporting Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam

By Le Anh

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft is parked at an airport. Vietnam Airlines affirmed that it has sufficient facilities and resources for the transportation of Covid-19 vaccines – PHOTO: COURTESY OF VIETNAM AIRLINES

HCMC – Vietnam Airlines JSC has proposed Vietnam’s national health authority allow it to transport Covid-19 vaccines to the country, affirming that it has sufficient facilities and resources for the transportation.

A Vietnam Airlines representative today, February 24, said that the national flag carrier had prepared all the essential resources to meet the stringent requirements for transporting the vaccines by air, including logistics services, modern cold storage facilities, well-trained personnel and frozen product transportation procedures in line with international standards, especially ultra-cold containers to store the vaccines.

These are special conditions for the transportation of the vaccines, as they need to be stored at cold temperatures.

Apart from that, Vietnam Airlines has years of experience in transporting medical supplies such as medicines, operation equipment and organs for transplantation. The carrier had operated dozens of flights carrying organs such as hearts, livers and kidneys for transplantation under extremely strict storage conditions, tight time constraints and long distances of thousands of kilometers among localities across the country.

Such flights require tight cooperation between the relevant units and the health sector. Vietnam Airlines can meet this requirement thanks to its comprehensive transport system.

The carrier can also operate wide-body aircraft such as Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 to many global destinations to carry home the vaccines.

Further, the carrier has already set up a special unit ready for the transportation of the vaccine upon a request from the authorities.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam had proposed the Ministry of Transport assign local airlines to conduct the transportation of Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam.

Two new COVID-19 cases, 43 recoveries recorded over last 12 hours

February 24, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Health officials collect swab samples from citizens in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Two more new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed over the last 12 hours, from 6:00pm on February 23 to 6:00am on February 24, taking the national count to 2,403.

The new cases are in the northern province of Hai Duong , the country’s current largest hotspot. Both are close contacts (F1) of COVID-19 patients linked to the outbreak in POYUN Electronics Co., Ltd. in Chi Linh city who have been quarantined in centralised centres.

They are being treated at the COVID-19 Hospital No.1 in Chi Linh.

There have been 1,504 community infections so far, of which 811 have been reported in the COVID-19 resurgence since January 27.

Additional 43 COVID-19 patients have been given the all-clear, raising the total recoveries to 1,760. Death toll remains at 35.

Among patients still under treatment, 87 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, 39 twice and 60 thrice.

A total of 88,583 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined across the country./.

VNA

Ba Ria-Vung Tau detects five Covid-19 cases after Indonesian sailor dies

February 24, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

Ba Ria-Vung Tau detects five Covid-19 cases after Indonesian sailor dies

The Saigon Times

Health care workers in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province take samples from residents for Covid-19 testing. Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province detected five positive Covid-19 cases, but there is no risk of community transmission – PHOTO: NLDO

HCMC – After a sailor onboard an Indonesian cargo ship sailing in the waters off Vietnam’s coast died, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Center for Disease Control took samples from 20 other sailors onboard for Covid-19 testing and detected five positive cases.

The provincial center said on February 24 that it has now taken samples from the five sailors for a second test and sent them to the HCMC-based Pasteur Institute.

If the second test results come back positive, the ship will have to return to Indonesia.

After the death of the sailor, the Ocean Amazing ship departing from Indonesia stopped in the Vietnamese waters on February 20 to bring his body into the mainland and conduct procedures to take him home. The cause of death remains unknown.

The body of the sailor remains on the ship, along with the other sailors, and there is no risk of community transmission, the local media reported.

First doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine arrive in Vietnam

February 24, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

First doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine arrive in Vietnam

The Saigon Times

AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine. Vietnam today, February 24, received the first batch of the vaccine – PHOTO: VNVC

HCMC – The first 117,600 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by British drugmaker AstraZeneca in association with the University of Oxford arrived at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC today, February 24, to meet the country’s high demand.

A representative of Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) said the batch was part of the 30 million doses of the vaccine that VNVC had earlier ordered. It signed a contract to import the vaccine with AstraZeneca last November, the local media reported.

The Ministry of Health has facilitated VNVC to quickly import the vaccine as the pandemic has spread to 13 cities and provinces over the last 27 days.

The ministry yesterday announced 11 groups of individuals who will be prioritized to receive the first doses of the Covid-19 vaccines, including health care workers; those involved in the fight against the pandemic, including members of steering committees, employees at quarantine centers and journalists; diplomatic and customs officials; and police officers and soldiers among others.

VNVC is the unique unit in Vietnam to receive AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine. Its three super-cold warehouses in HCMC, Danang and Hanoi can accommodate three million doses of the vaccine.

Besides the 30 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine ordered by VNVC, Covax Facility has committed to providing Vietnam with some 4.9 million doses free of charge in the first half of this year and 33 million doses in the third quarter.

The Ministry of Health on February 1 approved the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine ChAdOx in Vietnam.