A student receives a Covid-19 vaccine shot in HCMC's District 1, October 27, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Vietnam records 9,882 new local Covid cases

Vietnam recorded 9,882 new local Covid-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the infection tally in the new wave to 1,088,498.

The three localities with the highest numbers of cases are Ho Chi Minh City with 1,256 cases, Binh Duong with 683 cases and Dong Nai with 604 cases.

76 deaths were added to the national database on Sunday. The total number of deaths so far is 23,761, or around 2.2 percent of all infections, cited VnExpress.

5,613 Covid-19 patients were announced recovered on Sunday, bringing the number of recovered cases to 905,500.

66.7 million people have got at least one Covid-19 vaccine shots, and 41.1 million people have received two doses.

Vietnam-Japan ties thriving despite pandemic: Ambassador

The Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership has been developing more solidly and practically than ever, even against the backdrop of Covid-19, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam has affirmed.

He made the remark during an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Japan from November 22-25 at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio.

Vietnam remains a trustworthy destination of Japanese investors, the ambassador stated. Amid demand for a stable supply, hundreds of Japanese firms have decided to open or expand factories in the Southeast Asian nation.

Japanese investors channelled more than US$3.4 billion in Vietnam in the first 10 months of this year.

Despite the negative impacts of the ongoing pandemic, trade between Vietnam and Japan hit US$34.3 billion in the period, up 6.4 percent year on year.

Japan has so far been the largest ODA provider for Vietnam, focusing on such fields as infrastructure construction, transport, energy, health care, poverty reduction in mountainous areas.

The countries have stood side by side in the Covid-19 fight. In the peak times of the pandemic, Vietnam presented more than 2 million face masks and personal protective suits to Japan.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam. Photo: VNA

Japan offered nearly 4.1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine for Vietnam, together with over 4 billion JPY (US$35.09 million) to help the latter improve capacity of the medical system.

In the upcoming visit, PM Chinh will join talks with his Japanese counterpart Kishida and meet high-ranking officials of Japan, reported VNA.

The two PMs are set to discuss orientations of the countries’ relations in the post-pandemic period, towards the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023.

They will also exchange views on new policies facilitating border re-opening, maintaining exports-imports and supporting investment.

In addition, the Government leader of Vietnam will join working sessions with leaders of Japan’s major economic organizations such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) and conglomerates in the fields of green energy, transport infrastructure and health care, among others.

The PM is set to participate in the Vietnam-Japan business forum in Tokyo and a trade promotion event linking localities of the two countries in Tochigi, during which he will inform Japanese firms about investment incentives and potential of the Vietnamese market.

He will meet with the Vietnamese community in Japan to affirm the consistent policy of the Party and State on consolidating the great national solidarity and upholding the strength of the whole nation.

The Vietnamese diplomat believed that the Japan visit by PM Chinh will be a success, creating momentum for the Vietnam-Japan ties and becoming a hallmark in the bilateral relations.

Hanoi partially resumes school learning on Nov. 22

Ninth graders in 17 outlying districts of Hanoi are allowed to attend classes in person, starting on November 22, according to the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.

Students of other grades will continue to learn online and preschool kids will continue to stay at home, according to an urgent document issued by the department on November 20.

Ba Vi is the only district of Hanoi that has allowed students to return to school since November 8. Photo: VOV

For high school students, the department said they will resume face-to-face learning as soon as they receive Covid-19 jabs.

The Hanoi municipal administration has assigned the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Health to ensure safety when students return to school again, cited VOV.

Many cities and provinces nationwide such as Ha Nam, Bac Giang, Nghe An, Quang Nam and Dong Nai have allowed schools to welcome back students after a long period of online learning due to the prolonged Covid-19 outbreak.

Ho Chi Minh City, the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam, plans to resume face-to-face learning in mid-December. It is currently accelerating vaccinations for students aged 12 to 17.

Localities see more locally-transmitted cases of Covid-19

According to the Ministry of Health’s report, Vietnam has put the pandemic under its control nationwide.

However, the number of cases in the community tends to increase in many localities across the country due to the pathogen existing in the community; for instance, within the last week, the number of community infections increased in 35 provinces and cities.

On November 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Pandemic Prevention and Control, chaired a nationwide online meeting of the National Steering Committee with the Steering Committees of 63 provinces and cities to evaluate the results of prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic in the past time and the discussion of tasks and solutions to prevent and control the pandemic as well as recovery and development of socio-economic in the coming time.

Also according to the representative of the Ministry of Health, outbreaks of Covid-19 have been recorded in densely populated areas, secondary infections outside the community, especially in localities with high population density, high trade and travel, according to SGGP.

As of November 19, Vietnam has received 131.2 million doses of vaccine which has distributed 129.6 million doses. The remaining newly received vaccine 1.6 million doses are being tested. More than 106 million doses of vaccine have been administered.

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that the meeting was aiming to review the situation after more than a month of implementing the Government’s Resolution 128 and the Ministry of Health’s Decision 4800.

At the meeting chaired by PM Pham Minh Chinh. Photo: VGP

The Prime Minister asked the delegates to contribute ideas from the leadership practices from the localities to see what administrations have done and have not done and then, participants will together analyze the causes proposing additional measures and adjustment for the Resolution 128 and Guidelines 4800 for better performance in the coming time, especially in the organizational process. The implementation needs to be consistent across the country in order to both well implement the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, while recovering and developing safely and sustainably in the coming time.

According to the Ministry of Health’s report, in the first more than one month of implementing safe, flexible adaptation and effective control of the pandemic according to Resolution 128 of the Government, the Southeast Asian country recorded 105,543 cases in the community.

Compared to the previous month, the number of cases in the community increased by 2.9 percent, but the number of deaths decreased by 46.3 percent and hospitalizations decreased by 25.3 percent. Moreover, the number of severe and critical cases decreased by 25.3 percent, down by 40.8 percent.

Furthermore, in the coming time, many chains of infection will possibly continue to be recorded and there is a potential risk of disease spread in the community, especially the present weather is favorable for the development and spread of the virus.

Romantic film wins best picture award at Vietnam film fest

Victor Vu’s 2019 commercial hit ‘Mat Biec’ (Dreamy Eyes) has been awarded the Golden Lotus, often dubbed the Vietnamese Oscars, for best picture at the 22nd Vietnam Film Festival.

Adapted from a novel of the same name by writer Nguyen Nhat Anh, 'Dreamy Eyes', jointly produced by Galaxy and November Films, tells the story of unrequited love between a country boy and his childhood sweetheart, who changes when she goes to attend school in the city.

Released at the end of 2019, the film, which was also the Vietnamese entry for best foreign picture at the 93^rd Oscars, recorded box office revenues of VND180 billion (US$8 million), joining the list of just 13 local blockbusters that have so far crossed the VND100 billion (US$4.4 million) benchmark.

At the Vietnam Film Festival award ceremony held Saturday, ‘Dreamy Eyes’ also bagged best soundtrack for Christopher Wong, best cinematography for Dominic Pereira, and a special mention from Thua Thien Hue Province People’s Committee for best portrayal of Hue City, which hosted this year’s event.

This is the second time that Vietnamese American director Victor Vu and joint producer Galaxy Media & Entertainment have won the Golden Lotus for best picture.

In 2015, this team had won the best picture award for another box office hit, ‘Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh’ (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass), which was adapted from another Nguyen Nhat Anh novel.

A scene from 'Dreamy Eyes'. Photo: VnExpress

At the festival, the biggest box office hit of all time in Vietnam, ‘Bo Gia’ (Dad, I’m Sorry), also won four major awards: Silver Lotus, or the second prize for feature films; best screenplay for Tran Thanh, Kalei An Nhi and A Quay; best supporting actress for 10-year-old Ngan Chi; and best actor for Tuan Tran.

People’s Artist Le Khanh won the best actress award for her performance in ‘Gai Gia Lam Chieu 5 - Nhung Cuoc Doi Vuong Gia’ (Camellia Sisters 5 - Living Like Royalty), a 2021 comedy drama also set in Hue.

Produced by MAR6 Pictures for a whopping $2 million, Camellia Sisters 5, which is about the love and greed of a wealthy antique collecting family. With its royalist sets and shots of Hue’s ancient palaces, the film also won best art design and shared the Jury Award for creative storytelling with two other titles, VnExpress reported.

The best director award went to Trinh Dinh Le Minh for CJ and HK studios’ 2020 crime and horror flick ‘Bang Chung Vo Hinh’ (Invisible Evidence). ‘Invisible Evidence’ also won best supporting actor for Otis.

Tran Thanh Huy’s ‘Rom’, which won the New Currents award at the 2019 Busan International Film Festival, also did well at the Vietnam Film Festival, sharing best cinematography with ‘Dream Eyes’ for cinematographer Nguyen Vinh Phuc, and the Jury Award with ‘Camellia Sisters 5’ and People’s Artist Nguyen Thanh Van’s ‘Binh Minh Do’ (Red Dawn).

In the remaining categories, the Golden Lotus for best animation went to director Tran Khanh Duyen’s 10-minute ‘Con Chim Go’ (Wooden Bird); best documentary for Vietnam Television’s ‘Ranh Gioi’ (Border Line) about HCMC-based Hung Vuong Hospital’s medical staff’s struggle to save pregnant women infected with Covid-19; and best scientific film for another VTV production, ‘Diem Mu Giao Thong’ (Traffic Blindspots).

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