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Hanoi raises Covid-19 prevention and control alert to highest level

February 2, 2021 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – If no swift action is taken to handle the outbreaks in the community, it is very likely that the pandemic would spread out.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung has requested relevant units to apply urgent measures to curb Covid-19 disease from spreading as Hanoi may continue to record new Covid-19 cases in the community in the time ahead.

“The Steering Committee for Covid-19 prevention and control from municipal to communal level must strictly comply with the Prime Minister’s instructions and the tasks specified in the Hanoi mayor’s telegram,” Mr. Dung said.

Medical staff takes student’s samples for Covid-19 testing in Xuan Phuong Primary School in Nam Tu Liem district. Photo: Thanh Dat

The vice chairman emphasized that if no swift action is taken to handle the outbreaks in the community, it is very likely that the pandemic would spread out.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) Truong Quang Viet said that his center has found ways to increase capacity of Covid-19 testing and will ensure this work.

As there are numerous people coming back from the Hai Duong and Quang Ninh, the epicenters of the outbreak, more coronavirus carriers would be confirmed in the coming time, Mr. Viet said, adding that the Hanoi CDC recommends all suspected cases should immediately contact the health sector for testing.

The time from now until the Lunar New Year festival is the peak time to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, leaders of the Ministry of Health as well as the People’s Committee of Hanoi called on each citizen to be an anti-epidemic fighter.

Hanoi closes schools for online teaching to curb spread of coronavirus

On January 31, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training Pham Xuan Tien signed an official letter guiding schools in Hanoi to apply online teaching and learning in order to minimize the infection of novel coronavirus-caused respiratory sickness.

The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has required that online teaching quality must be ensured to maintain teaching plan schedule.

The department has asked school principals to strictly manage the teaching time and plan of each teacher, urge teachers to prepare lectures and organize online teaching in accordance with the schools’ schedule and check content and quality of online teaching.

Hanoi has more than more than two million of students. The school year begins in September and ends in May and June of the next year.

More than 18,000 new firms set up in first two months

March 1, 2021 by bizhub.vn

More than 18,000 new businesses were established in the first two months of 2021 — Photo VNA

More than 18,000 new businesses were established in the first two months of 2021, a year-on-year decline of 4 per cent, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The number of employees registered by the newly-established enterprises rose 9.7 per cent to 173,000.

The months saw an addition of VND720.4 trillion (US$32.24 billion) in total registered capital, up 12.4 per cent. The average level in registered capital per enterprise surged 46.4 per cent to reach VND18.5 billion in the period.

About 11,030 enterprises resumed operations in the first two months, down 7.6 per cent while 33,611 others were dissolved, up 18.6 per cent.

In February alone, as many as 8,038 new businesses were set up with a combined registered capital of nearly VND179.74 trillion.

The number of new firms represented a year-on-year drop of 12.3 per cent while the amount of capital surged 85.6 per cent.

The number of workers registered by these businesses reached almost 57,000, down 22.1 per cent. — VNS

New COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, Malaysia rise sharply

March 1, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Illustrative image (Source: Xinhua/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia ‘s Health Ministry on February 28 reported 5,560 more cases of COVID-19 and 185 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the country’s total tally to 1,334,634 with 36,166 deaths.

Specifically, Jakarta recorded 2,098 new confirmed cases; West Java, 770; East Kalimantan, 374; Central Java, 327; and East Java, 324.

Meanwhile, Malaysia detected 2,437 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on February 28, bringing the national total to 300,752.

The Health Ministry ’s Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that two of the new cases are imported and 2,435 are local transmissions.

An additional nine deaths have been reported, pushing the death toll to 1,130.

Some 3,251 patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total cured and discharged to 273,417 or 90.9 percent of all cases.

Of the remaining 26,205 active cases, 202 are being held in intensive care units ./.

VNA

Vietnam – UK free trade agreement takes new step for bilateral ties

December 11, 2020 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – A trade deal in place will help ensure continuity in trade relations between the UK and Vietnam after Brexit’s transitional period ends on December 31, 2020.

Vietnam and the UK today [December 11] officially concluded the negotiation process for the UK – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).

Overview of the signing ceremony. Source: MoIT.

The agreed minutes on the conclusion of the free trade agreement negotiation were signed by Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh and the UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss in Hanoi.

“The agreed minutes signed today is a first major step towards the signing of the UKVFTA in the coming time,” stated Mr. Anh.

The Vietnam minister said both sides started the negotiation process for the deal since August 2018.

As the UK is set to leave the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) after the Brexit’s transitional period ends on December 31, 2020, a new FTA between Vietnam and the UK will help ensure the continuity in bilateral trade relations.

On her part, UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the UKVFTA is a milestone for the country to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which remains a priority for the UK government next year.

The fact that most of the clauses stipulated in the UKVFTA are similar to those in the EVFTA, significantly shortening the negotiation process for the two sides.

Mr. Anh suggested with the UKVFTA, Vietnam will hold advantages compared to regional countries such as China, India, Thailand, or Malaysia, those do not have a similar deal in place with the UK.

Vietnam is set to have more opportunities in attracting investment capital, technology transfer, and tourists from the UK once the Covid-19 is rolled back, while the deal presages positive outlook for the Vietnam – UK relations on the occasion of 10 ^th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership.

Under the UKFTA commitments, six years since the coming into effect of the deal, the UK will remove import tariffs for 99.2% of goods imported from Vietnam, or 99.7% of Vietnam’s exports to the country.

The EU in its EVFTA with Vietnam provides the tariff rate quotas (TRQs) with 0% tariff rate for certain imported products. The UK, meanwhile, is set to review actual trade figure with Vietnam during the 2014-16 period to make a similar decision.

On the other hand, Vietnam will immediately remove tariff for 48.5% of goods from UK, or 64.5% of import turnover. The figure is set to rise to 91.8% or 97.1% of UK exports to Vietnam in six years.

The UK is Vietnam’s third largest trade partner in Europe, behind Germany and the Netherlands.

In 2019, Vietnam’s exports to the UK reached US$6.1 billion, the country imported nearly US$800 million worth of goods and products in return.

As of August 2020, the UK has 400 valid projects in Vietnam with total investment capital of US$3.6 billion, ranking 16 ^th among countries and territories having investment projects in Vietnam.

Hải Dương starts to ease lockdown measures in places, enters ‘new normal’

March 1, 2021 by vietnamnews.vn

A worker at clothing factory Haivina in Gia Lộc District, Hải Dương Province, is tested for COVID-19 before resuming work. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Minh

HÀ NỘI — With the local COVID-19 outbreaks gradually being brought under control, the northern province of Hải Dương will lift some restrictions in certain areas on March 3, after 15 days of stringent province-wide lockdown measures.

Since January 27, the province has recorded over 600 COVID-19 local infections (nearly 300 have recovered), becoming the largest outbreak in the country since the pandemic began early last year, mostly centred around a number of hotspots.

Phạm Xuân Thăng, Secretary of Hải Dương Party Committee, at Monday’s meeting on COVID-19, said the outbreaks in the province are gradually being brought under control: “It’s time the fight against the pandemic turns to a new chapter, maintaining a balance between socio-economic development and keeping the pandemic in check.”

Hải Dương Party Committee said the anti-pandemic measures must cause the least possible disruptions to socio-economic development, the flow of goods, and business activities in the province.

Hải Dương authorities agreed to divide the localities in the province into two groups under different restrictions depending on the COVID-19 risks.

Four high-risk localities, including Hải Dương City, Kinh Môn township, Cẩm Giàng District and Kim Thành, will be placed under the Government’s Directive 15, the highest level of social distancing first introduced in March last year when the country entered nationwide lockdown. The directive prescribes limiting large gatherings, meetings with over 20 people in-doors or 10 people outdoors, maintaining two metres distance between individuals in public places, non-essential services are shut down, public passenger transport are halted, and travel is heavily restricted.

The remaining eight localities in the province will follow the less restrictive Government’s Directive 19 on social distancing norms.

Hải Dương will continue to halt festivals, religious rituals, sporting events and other unimportant events that require large gatherings in public.

Entertainment venues, tourism venues, sport centres, beauty parlors, hairdressing shops, karaoke bars, massage parlours, bars, discotheques, restaurants, cafes and lottery stalls will continue to be closed.

People are urged to halt weddings, while funerals need to be held with caution in mind.

Factories and plants can resume work, but the owners will need to sign documents with the local authorities affirming their commitment to COVID-19 safety. Factories and plants are urged to routinely test their employees and managers for COVID-19.

Service venues – retail/wholesale trading shops, shopping malls, markets, supermarkets, hotels, accommodation facilities, etc. – can resume operations, but must observe COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Remote learning will continue until when outbreaks are completely under control, at least March 17.

Inter-provincial and intra-provincial passenger transport can resume, but anti-pandemic measures need to be ensured in line with the guidelines from the Ministry of Transport.

Areas under lockdown due to new cases will continue until the order expires.

Secretary Thăng stressed the outbreaks could still recur if the local authorities are careless and let their guard down, and that the leaders will be held primarily accountable for the situation under their jurisdiction.

In the coming days, there might continue to be new cases found in the quarantine facilities or out in the community, but “we don’t need to be worried, given the sufficient experience and resources,” Thăng said. — VNS

Over 18,000 new firms set up in first two months

March 1, 2021 by en.qdnd.vn

The number of employees registered by the newly-established enterprises rose 9.7 percent to 173,000.

The months saw an addition of over 720.4 trillion VND (32.24 billion USD), in total registered capital, up 12.4 percent. Average level in registered capital per enterprise surged 46.4 percent to reach 18.5 billion VND in the period.

About 11,030 enterprises resumed operations in the first two months, down 7.6 percent while 33,611 others were dissolved, an increase of 18.6 percent.

In February alone, as many as 8,038 new businesses were set up with a combined registered capital of nearly 179.74 trillion VND.

The number of new firms represented a year-on-year drop of 12.3 percent while the amount of capital surged 85.6 percent.

The number of workers registered by these businesses reached almost 57,000, down 22.1 percent.

Source: VNA