Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours as of 6 am on September 14, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

A health worker takes a sample for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA)

The country has confirmed 1,063 coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infections so far.

Of the total, 691 are domestically-transmitted cases, including 551 linked with central Da Nang city where the latest coronavirus outbreak began on July 25.

As many as 918 patients have recovered while 35 died from complications related to the disease. Most of the fatalities were the elderly with serious underlying health conditions.

Among the patients under treatment, 16 have tested negative for the virus once, 17 others twice and 21 thrice. Currently, three patients are in critical conditions.

There are 33,605 people who had close contact with confirmed cases or came from pandemic-hit regions under quarantine at present, including 489 in hospitals, 16,224 in other quarantine sites and 16,892 at home or accommodation facilities.

Music video on self-protection against COVID-19 debuts

A music video titled “Vietnam oi – Vung tin” (Vietnam – Be confident), which gathered the participation of 150 artists, businessmen, and doctors, has made its debut as an effort to raise public awareness of self-protection against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The song was written by musician Holy Thang and the MV was jointly produced by the Health Ministry’s Department for Communications and Rewards and the Holy Entertainment Company.

It calls on Vietnamese both at home and abroad to keep in mind a list of the five essential steps to ensure safety during the pandemic, namely wearing face masks, disinfecting, keeping distance, not gathering, and making health declarations.

Holy Thang said the song is a thank-you message sent to people on the forefront of the combat against COVID-19 and an encouragement for the public to raise their awareness to protect themselves and their families and overcome the hardships.

Vietnam confirmed 1,063 coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infections as of September 14 morning. Of the total, 691 are domestically-transmitted cases, including 551 linked with central Da Nang city where the latest coronavirus outbreak began on July 25.

As many as 918 patients have recovered while 35 died from complications related to the disease.

Nearly 350 Vietnamese citizens brought home safely from Australia

Nearly 350 Vietnamese citizens were safely flown home from Australia on a flight on September 12.

The flight was arranged by Vietnamese authorities, the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Australian authorities.

The passengers included children aged under 18, the elderly, pregnant women, workers whose visas or labour contracts expired, students with no residences due to dormitory closures and those in difficult circumstances

The Vietnamese Embassy in Australia sent staff to the airport to assist the citizens with procedures until they boarded the flight.

Vietnam Airlines has strictly implemented in-flight security and disease preventive measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Upon landing at Van Don international airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh, all the flight crew and passengers were given heath checkups and put into compulsory quarantine in accordance with regulations.

In the future, more flights are set to be conducted to repatriate Vietnamese citizens with disadvantaged circumstances, depending on their need and quarantine capacity at home.

ASEAN prioritises COVID-19 response at AMM 53: Expert

As Chair of ASEAN 2020, Vietnam made the response to COVID-19 a top priority of the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 53) and related meetings, according to Dr Balazs Szanto from Webster University Thailand.

He said the bloc needs a common approach that is acceptable to all sides involved and takes into consideration the benefits of member nations.

At the event, economic and trade cooperation also received a significant attention, he noted, adding that it is key to economic recovery of the region after it has been hit by the pandemic and a global economic downturn.

Regarding the security matter, the Dr said Vietnam is holding an important role as a party claiming territorial sovereignty in the East Sea. By leading ASEAN, the nation has the conditions to push for the formation of a stronger common voice of the bloc on the issue, he stressed.

According to him, in the Joint Communiqué of the AMM 53, ASEAN reiterated its commitment to building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) and respecting and sustaining the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). Based on current developments, he said the bloc is likely to push for an effective COC and apply it practically.

The expert highlighted Vietnam’s positive initiatives as the ASEAN Chair, adding that they place regional economic recovery at the centre. Despite COVID-19 impacts, member nations have overcome challenges and gradually built a common response mechanism for an unprecedented difficulty by setting up a regional fund for COVID-19 response as well as boosting cooperation on health and regional linkage.

Intra-bloc connection is a priority in Vietnam’s agenda this year, he said, adding that in spite of the pandemic's impacts, ASEAN has demonstrated its solidarity.

He went on to say the crisis is an opportunity for the bloc to prove its central role and show its true value in regional cooperation and development matters.

Facilitation Council of ACT-A important to fight COVID-19: Vietnamese diplomat

Vietnam hailed the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s initiative to set up the Facilitation Council of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) as it will help step up the development and equitable distribution of vaccines and technologies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, said Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN, WTO and other international organisations in Geneva.

At the first meeting of the council on September 10, Mai thanked the WHO and the European Mission for inviting Vietnam to attend the event as the ASEAN Chair in 2020.

She went on by highlighting ASEAN and Vietnam’s recent efforts in response to the coronavirus outbreak, and affirming the member states’ commitments to enhancing solidarity and international cooperation to fight the pandemic, particularly activities of the Facilitation Council of the ATC-A so as to promote equitable access to vaccines and tools responding to the pandemic as well as post-pandemic recovery.

The council was established on September 10 with 34 members, comprising several international organisations, representative countries like Vietnam as the ASEAN Chair and Singapore as representative for the small states forum, and nine initial sponsors - the UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, Japan, France and Spain, and eight countries forming markets for COVID-19 tools, including India, Brazil, the Republic of Korea, the US, Indonesia, South Africa, Russia, and China.

Planning to operate in 18 months, the council will work to promote international collaboration, mobilise support and necessary resources to accelerate the development, scale-up and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for all health systems.

Its first meeting was held on the same day to adjust ACT-A’s plan as a global solution to end the COVID-19 crisis, and recover global medical system and growth.

Launched at the end of April 2020, the ACT-A brings together governments, scientists, businesses, civil societies, and philanthropists and global health organisations (the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CEPI, FIND, Gavi, The Global Fund, Unitaid, Wellcome, the WHO, the World Bank and Global Financing Facility).

ACT-A's goal is to protect health systems and restore societies and economies by accelerating development, equitable allocation and scaled up delivery of 2 billion doses of vaccines by the end of 2021, 245 million courses of therapeutics by mid-2021, and 500 million tests for mid-income countries by mid-2021, besides providing personal protective gears and ventilators for countries in need.

Some 38 billion USD is needed for the ACT-A; however, only 2.7 billion USD has been mobilised so far. Currently, Canada and France are the largest sponsors or the programme.

Eight more patients recover from COVID-19

Eight more COVID-19 patients have been given the all-clear after testing negative for SARS-CoV-2, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control announced on Saturday. 

The total number of people who have now beaten the virus now stands at 910.

The latest patients to recover are five in central Đà Nẵng City and three in central Quảng Nam Province.

During treatment, these patients all had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 three times. They currently are in a stable condition.

They will all now be quarantined at their homes for 14 days according to pandemic prevention regulations.

As of Saturday, Việt Nam has gone 10 days without community transmissions of COVID-19 since the second breakout hit Đà Nẵng in late July. 

Next Media, Hanoi FC launch auction to support fight against COVID - 19 epidemic

Hanoi FC has teamed up with Next Media to launch a campaign to help raise money to fight COVID-19.

A number of items of football memorabilia, including a signed Bayern Munich jersey and medals won by Hà Nội FC will go under the hammer.

Bidding for a number of items has already opened and can be seen by clicking on Hà Nội FC’s Facebook page.

The lucky winning bidders will be announced on September 16 and all proceeds will be given to the fund for COVID-19 prevention and control managed by the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee.

Next Media will be broadcasting a number of Bundesliga matches over the next five years after they signed a deal with Germany’s top division.