Vietnam News Today (August 22): Vietnam makes noted contributions to AIPA’s reform; Vietnam's daily Covid infection reaches new peak; Shippers to halt services in eight HCM City districts; Vietnam likely to approve UAE-made Hayat-Vax vaccine.

Vietnam News Today (August 21): Military to Oversee Food Provision in HCM City During Lockdown

Vietnam News Today (August 20): Vietnam Records Highest Single-day Covid-19 Tally at 10,639

Vietnam News Today (August 19): Vietnam to Rank Among Top 50 Global Destinations

Vietnam News Today (August 22) notable headlines

Vietnam makes noted contributions to AIPA’s reform: AIPA Secretary General

Vietnam's daily Covid infection reaches new peak

Shippers to halt services in eight HCM City districts

Vietnam likely to approve UAE-made Hayat-Vax vaccine

Ha Giang promotes beauty of Hoang Su Phi terraced fields online

Vietnam, Argentina eye stronger bilateral trade

Ho Chi Minh City receives 10 mobile COVID-19 testing vehicles

COVID-19 production suspension hampering timber exports

Exhibition on General Vo Nguyen Giap opens in Hanoi

The Vietnamese National Assembly delegation attends the AIPA Caucus 12. Photo: VNA

Vietnam makes noted contributions to AIPA’s reform: AIPA Secretary General

The Vietnamese National Assembly has taken timely actions and joined hands with other members of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) to contribute to handling emerging issues in the region, said AIPA Secretary General Nguyen Tuong Van.

In an inclusive interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) ahead of the 42nd AIPA General Assembly, to be held virtually from August 23-28 by Brunei, the Chair of ASEAN in 2021, Van stressed Vietnam’s initiative to organise a thematic conference of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) in 1999, which promoted the role of legislative agencies in the face of the regional economic and financial crisis, VNA reported.

The Hanoi conference was lauded by the AIPO, she said, adding that it demonstrated the timely participation of the legislative agencies in ASEAN’s efforts to deal with difficulties.

She also reviewed the 2001-2002 tenure when Vietnam performed the AIPO Chairmanship for the first time, as well as the country’s hosting the 23rd General Assembly of the AIPO and AIPA-32 in Hanoi, with 22 out of 33 approved resolutions initiated by the country, among other contributions since Vietnam joined AIPO/AIPA 26 years ago.

Vietnam has also made efforts to promote relations between AIPO/AIPA and ASEAN, Van continued.

She took AIPO-23 as an example, where Vietnam – AIPO Chair – invited the ASEAN Secretary General to attend the meeting to step up cooperation between the sides.

Notably, representatives from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) have attended the AIPA General Assembly as suggested by Vietnam, Van said, describing this as a significant step to help AIPO/AIPA integrate into the world.

Vietnam's daily Covid infection reaches new peak

Vietnam recorded 13,417 new local Covid-19 cases Saturday, the highest single-day tally ever since the pandemic hit the country as its biggest cities tightened restrictions to contain the outbreak.

The three localities recording the highest number of cases were the southern industrial hub Binh Duong with 6,623 cases, HCMC with 4,084 cases and the Mekong Delta's Tien Giang with 589 cases.

Binh Duong's new cases include 2,118 detected previously but only registered in the Covid-19 national database on Saturday.

People wait to buy food at a supermarket in Go Vap District, HCMC, August 21, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Of the country's Saturday infections, 7,428 were detected in the community and the remaining in quaratine facilities or locked down areas. The day's number has pushed the tally in the ongoing wave since late April to 332,627, cited VnExpress.

The number of recoveries since the start of the pandemic increased to 140,087, after 7,272 were announced recovered Saturday.

The country has vaccinated over 14 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. Over 1.7 million of them have been fully vaccinated.

HCMC, Vietnam's biggest metropolis and epicenter of the ongoing wave, will tighten its travel restrictions in high-risk areas from Monday while people in safe and low-risk areas would be allowed to go shopping once a week, and the rest should expect task forces to deliver food to their homes.

Shippers to halt services in eight HCM City districts

Shippers in HCMC's Thu Duc City and seven other districts would suspend operations starting Aug. 23 when stricter coronavirus restrictions kick in.

From Aug. 23 to Sept. 6, all shippers who utilize tech apps would need to suspend operations in Thu Duc City, Districts 8, 12, Go Vap, Binh Tan, Binh Thanh, Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon, according to a document issued by the municipal People's Committee on Saturday.

For the rest of Ho Chi Minh City, shippers would only be allowed to operate within one district and cannot travel to others.

Several shippers are stopped at a Covid-19 checkpoint on Dinh Bo Linh Street, Binh Thanh District, HCMC, July 25, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

On Friday, Pham Duc Hai, deputy head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, said HCMC would tighten its coronavirus restrictions starting Aug. 23, requiring people to "stay where they are," isolating homes from homes, streets from streets and wards from wards.

It effectively means people are banned from going out, reported VnExpress.

Covid-19 tests would continue in high-risk areas and so will vaccination. The city will continue to supply its citizens with essential goods and care for them, especially those in poverty, dire circumstances and other vulnerable communities.

The military would deploy its forces and employ help from others to deliver food and medicine to people's doorsteps, Vo Minh Luong, Deputy Minister of National Defense, said Friday.

HCMC, epicenter of Vietnam's fourth coronavirus wave since late April, has recorded 167,717 local Covid-19 cases in the new outbreak so far.

Vietnam likely to approve UAE-made Hayat-Vax vaccine

The Prime Minister has requested the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to appraise and approve the Hayat-Vax Covid-19 vaccine produced by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for emergency use in Vietnam.

According to the Government’s Office, the Ministry of Health will work on quality control, licensing, preservation and organization of free injections of the vaccine according to regulations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will speed up diplomatic efforts to import the vaccine.

The Hayat-Vax vaccine produced by the UAE is said to protect people from virus infection. Photo: VOV

The decision comes after Vimedimex Medical and Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company requested that the Prime Minister consider, approve and direct the Ministry of Health to appraise its dossier concerning approving Hayat-Vax for emergency use in Vietnam, cited VOV.

UAE health officials say that up to 99% of people who have received the Hayat-Vax vaccine shots have developed antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vaccine has also helped prevent moderate and severe cases in vaccinated people.

In Vietnam, the Ministry of Health has approved 6 Covid-19 vaccines for use, namely AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson (Janssen), Sinopharm and Sputnik V.

By the end of August 20, more than 16 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccines have been administered, with more than 1.6 million people getting their second shot.

Ha Giang promotes beauty of Hoang Su Phi terraced fields online

The annual program highlighting the beauty of Hoag Su Phi terraced fields in the northern province of Ha Giang during harvest season will be held virtually for the first time amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tourism program, Qua Nhung Mien Di San Ruong Bac Thang (Travelling to the Heritage Lands across Terraced Fields in Hoang Su Phi), will be jointly organized by local authorities and FPT Group and screened on FPT’s digital platform.

Terraced fields in the northern province of Ha Giang. Photo: VietnamPlus

Highlights of the program, which is the sixth of its kind, include online exhibitions of photos and videos featuring the local landscapes, traditional festivals, agricultural products and selling 'One Commune, One Product' (OCOP) products online.

According to head of the Publicity Department of the provincial Party Committee, Vu Manh Ha, the virtual platform is suitable with the current complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and also follows the general trend of modern society.

The program is aimed to promote the landscapes, cultures and heritages of Ha Giang province, connect the introduction and sale of typical local agricultural products on virtual trading floors, he added.

Participants will be able to view the stunning beauty of Hoang Su Phi terraced fields during harvest season from August to October, which before the pandemic, enticed many tourists and backpackers to the region, cited VNA.

The tourism program is scheduled for September 4 - September 30, 2021 with various sports and cultural events.

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Rosie Nguyen