Xe hoi viet nam

The Hanoitimes – The MoH is working with the COVAX to arrange for another shipment of 1.3 million doses to arrive at Vietnam in March.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) would mobilize all resources to carry out Vietnam’s largest vaccination program yet with an estimated of 100 million doses.

Local volunteer vaccinated with domestic Covid-19 vaccine named Nanocovax in Hanoi. Photo: Ngoc Tu

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long made the statement at an online conference discussing plan for the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination program held today [March 6].

“With the country’s first Covid-19 vaccine doses set to be administered on March 8 in the northern province of Hai Duong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there would no doubt be side effects, but this is not the reason for Vietnam to stop the vaccination program,” stated Long.

According to Long, Covid-19 vaccines are developed and manufactured in the shortest time in the history of vaccine development, so the effective period of vaccines varies from six months to two years.

“In addition to importing vaccines, Vietnam would accelerate the R&D processes for domestic Covid-19 vaccines to ensure long-term public health security,” Long added.

The minister suggested any post-vaccination side effects is possible, as not any vaccine can be 100% safe.

“As the vaccine is new, so the vaccination program will be carried out in a cautious manner,” added Long, saying local health authorities have evaluated the safety of vaccines in Vietnam.

With the limited amount of vaccine doses, Long said the MoH would prioritize vaccination for 13 cities and provinces of high risk.

“The MoH is working with the COVAX to arrange for another shipment of 1.3 million doses to arrive at Vietnam in March,” he informed.

Vaccine passport

Under the government resolution NO.21 on the 11 priority groups, Long said the first doses of Covid-19 vaccines would be allocated for health workers at 21 health facilities with the highest level of risks, followed by front-line workers of the Covid-19 fight in Hai Duong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

One of a key point in Vietnam’s vaccination program is that health officials would carry out health check-up for locals before vaccination to ensure safety.

Every people getting vaccinated will be added into a database for supervision.

“Vietnam’s vaccination system would later be integrated with other countries, which would serve as a basis for vaccine passport, and is managed via QR code,” Long noted.

Last month, Vietnam received more than 204,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca as part the WHO-led COVAX Facility vaccine-sharing scheme.

Vietnam has been negotiating with AstraZeneca to import 30 million doses for 2021 and another 33 million doses from COVAX.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are possible side effects after getting a Covid-19 vaccine including: pain, redness, swelling, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea.

The Hanoitimes – The move is taken to support domestic producers in overcoming the unprecedented crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic and these items are only allowed to export to countries heavily affected by the coronavirus.

The Vietnamese government has allowed the export of medical masks, protective clothing and medical equipment, provided that domestic demand for those items is met (including for reserves), VnExpress quoted Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as saying at a meeting on April 15.

The move is taken to support domestic producers in overcoming the unprecedented crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic and these items are only allowed to be shipped to countries affected by Covid-19.

Illustrative photo

Under the Vietnamese government’s resolution dated February 28, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, medical face masks could be shipped out of the country only for the purpose of international aid provided by the Vietnamese government. In addition, the business is allowed to export a maximum of 25% of its output. The regulation aimed to give priority to the fight against the pandemic in the country and ensure sufficient medical equipment for doctors.

According to the health ministry’s data, Vietnam currently has 68 producers of medical masks and protective suits. A number of textile enterprises have also started importing production lines of these items, such as Garment 10 Corporation Joint Stock Company, TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company, among others.

An executive of Garment 10 Corporation Joint Stock Company said that it received a foreign order for 400 million medical face masks with delivery set for July.

TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company also plans to start producing medical masks from mid-May. The enterprise has ensured sources of materials to produce the above-mentioned items after its output basically meets the domestic demand.

Besides, Vietnam has successfully produced waterproof cloth masks which are appreciated by many countries.

Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vu Tien Loc told Vietnam News Agency that the face mask production capacity of Vietnam is huge, much higher than domestic demand. While the face mask demand in the foreign markets is increasing rapidly, it is time for domestic producers to grasp that opportunity.

Priority must be still given to meeting the domestic demand, but it was also necessary to take the opportunity to boost exports, Loc stressed.

He also urged the government to develop a strategy for medical equipment production and export. “Any decision must be timely, especially in the pandemic period,” Loc said.

The Hanoitimes – Local hospitality businesses need to collect, update and report to the tourism authorities about the number of foreign guests who are forced to stay at their facilities due to reasons beyond their control.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has asked local tourist accommodations to exempt and reduce room charges for foreign tourists who are stuck in Vietnam due to the coronavirus pandemic, until the Ministry of Transport can arrange flights to send them home.

Foreign tourists wearing face masks in Hoi An, Quang Nam province. (Photo: To Quoc)

Earlier, the VNAT had requested the provincial authorities to urgently check and list foreign tourists who are stuck in the localities due to border closures and flight suspension. These foreigners are passengers who may be in quarantine, stranded due to flight suspension or in transit to a third country which closed its borders.

The provincial authorities will report to the Ministries of Transport and Foreign Affairs about the number of foreign tourists, their departure points in Vietnam and countries/territories where the tourists come from.

During this stay-at-hotel period, tourist accommodations are required not to organize buffet and cater for guests right inside the room, supervise guest health and take measures to ensure the safety of guests and employees. They should remind guests to refrain from going out, make mandatory medical declarations, regularly check body temperature, wear face masks and keep a two-meter distance from each other when in contact.

In late March, the Vietnam’s Immigration Department has also facilitated procedures for extension of temporary residence for foreigners who are unable to leave the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, foreigners who entered Vietnam with a visa waiver or tourist visa (including electronic visas) and who have their resident permits expired but do not have any sponsoring entity and cannot leave due to reasons beyond their control may seek their embassies or consulate general sponsorship for their extension of temporary residence for a maximum of 30 days while awaiting departure, and submit their application at the Vietnam Immigration Department. The policy remains effective until April 30.

Foreign individuals who entered Vietnam for business, visiting relatives or other purposes, should contact their sponsors (agencies, organizations or individuals) according to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam for residence extension.

Persons who have exceeded their valid temporary residence period for less than 10 days due to situations of force majeure (with documented evidence) may be considered for exemptions from administrative sanctions.