Why farmer protests may be the new normal

COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health has proposed considering COVID-19 a Group A infectious disease , not an endemic disease in its latest draft on COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the new situation. Per the draft, Vietnam is still in the transition period between pandemic prevention and sustainable management. Regarding the reason why COVID-19 has not been considered an endemic disease in Vietnam yet, the Ministry of Health said that most countries in the world are in a state of unstable cases and deaths, with an erratic increase and decrease trend when new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear. At the same time, acquired immunity (due to vaccines and infection) has not been stable for a long time and decreases over time. As a result, the application of epidemic prevention and control measures should be flexible and gradually moves towards the "new normal". The announcement of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in … [Read more...] about Health Ministry yet to consider COVID-19 endemic disease

Vietnam will keep a close eye on the emergence of new strains. Vietnam has detected imported BA.5 Omicron sub-variant after conducting gene sequencing of newly confirmed patients' samples, according to Dr. Phan Trong Lan, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health (MoH). Lan underscored that initial research showed the Omicron sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 spread faster than the old sub-variants (BA.1 and BA.2). There has been no specific evidence of the new sub-variants’ virulence, but some studies indicated that there is an aggravation in the African region. However,  the director confirmed that Omicron sub-variant BA.2 still remains the dominant one in the country. “The emergence of new strains is inevitable as a result of border reopening and the new normal situation, in which precautionary protocols are relaxed,” Lan said. He added that the BA.5 sub-variant was first detected in South Africa in January. Since then, it has … [Read more...] about BA.5 Omicron sub-variant detected in Vietnam

Administering the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to medical staff in the northern province of Ninh Bình. — VNA/VNS Photo Hải Yến HÀ NỘI — If Việt Nam declares the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, it will meet many difficulties in pandemic prevention and control and be hit by slower economic recovery, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has said. Under the latest draft plan on COVID-19 prevention and control in the new situation, which is waiting for input from the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, ministries, provinces, cities and experts, the MoH said that the pandemic situation has basically been controlled nationwide. However, the pandemic situation is still complicated in many countries and is even increasing again in some. The virus is constantly changing and recording new variants, which could potentially cause a strong outbreak on a large scale, beyond the health system’s capacity. Latent risks The SARS-CoV-2 virus has constantly … [Read more...] about Ministry of Health explains reasons for not announcing end of COVID-19 pandemic

A grape orchard in An Giang Province has recently emerged as a popular weekend getaway destination for youngsters across Vietnam thanks to its innovative tourism model. According to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, the grape orchard of Nguyen Van Men, a 73-year-old farmer, in Long Kien Ward, Cho Moi District, An Giang Province attracted nearly 100 visitors on Sunday. The entrance fee is merely VND20,000 (US$0.86) per person for forty minutes of grape garden exploration. As the first grape vineyard in An Giang to welcome tourists, the garden has attracted a large number of curious visitors. Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang, a resident of Cho Moi District, claimed that the combination of garden ecology and tourism is a service that has the potential to boost gardeners' revenue. The service provides children and adults with a unique opportunity to spend a relaxed weekend with their families. Nguyen Thanh Hai, a tourist from the provincial city of Long Xuyen, … [Read more...] about This grape orchard in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta is a mecca for tourists

Patricia Marques, general manager of Starbucks Vietnam How tough is the coffee competition in Vietnam this year and how do you expect things to pan out moving into next year for your company? Competition is up there. We have plenty of competitors and there are an enormous number of players in the market, although not necessarily competing in the same arena. Although we may all be coffee brands, some brands are more skewed towards teas or fruit drinks. So in the coffee arena, we find that there is plenty of competition and in the next few years, we will probably continue to see even more than now, considering that many international players are not yet in Vietnam. The quality of Vietnamese coffee beans can be unstable from year to year, so how do you support farmers in places like Dalat to ensure quality is up to standard? In my role, I have no participation in the sourcing or the buying of Starbucks Coffee for the world. However, as a company, we try to be as close as … [Read more...] about Starbucks CSR initiatives gather pace

Since April stores and retailers in the area have gradually been running out of formula. To feed her 10-month-old son, Hien has been visiting Target, Walgreens and other stores far away from home, some even two hours away, only to find shelves that used to be filled with formula bare. Last weekend the 28-year-old rushed to a pharmacy 30 minutes away from her home in Anaheim, California State, after a friend called to tell her she saw it stocking baby formula. Fortunately, she was able to get one small tin. "But it is only enough to feed my baby for a week," Hien, who has difficulties breastfeeding, lamented. "I feel helpless when I can't even get the most basic product to keep my baby fed and nourished." There is similar frustration throughout the country as a baby formula shortage grips the U.S. Formula is the only option for many parents, who cannot produce enough milk to meet their child's requirements. Others choose not to breastfeed due to pain or discomfort, while … [Read more...] about Vietnamese in US grapple with baby formula shortage