Top leader stresses avoiding complacency in COVID-19 fight
Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong chaired the Politburo’s meeting on the COVID-19 combat on March 20, saying over-confidence or complacency must be avoided as the pandemic’s development remains very complex and unpredictable. The event in Hanoi was attended by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, other Politburo members, secretaries of the Party Central Committee, members of the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, and officials of ministries, sectors and central agencies.
According to Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, challenges caused by COVID-19 also provide a chance for economic and business restructuring. In the short term, public investment should be promoted to stimulate demand; investment in agriculture and food production increased to ensure food and social security; and difficulties facing businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, removed.
Party Central Committee extends greetings to LPRP on founding anniversary
The Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) has sent a message of congratulations to the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) on the occasion of the 65th founding anniversary of the LPRP (March 22). In the message, the CPVCC has lauded the sound leadership of the LPRP over the past 65 years, especially during the 35-year reform.
Vietnam’s Party, State and people will work closely together with the Party, State and people of Laos to further foster the Vietnam-Laos special solidarity, for the sake of the two countries’ people, and for peace, stability, cooperation in the region and the world, the message said.
Vietnam posts trade surplus of nearly US$1 billion in first half of March despite COVID-19 epidemic
Vietnam reports total import - export revenue of over US$21.47 billion in the first half of March, with a trade surplus of nearly US$1 billion. (Illustrative image)
Vietnam reported total import - export revenue of over US$21.47 billion in the first half of March, with a trade surplus of nearly US$1 billion, despite the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
Vietnam’s import-export revenue from early this year to mid-March is estimated at US$50.3 billion, up 7% over the same period in 2019, and trade surplus is estimated at US$2.74 billion. The results demonstrate the efforts of the government and business community in maintaining the stability of foreign trade activities amid the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.
Teacher congratulated for being selected in Global Teacher Prize Top 50 finalists
Ha Anh Phuong (third from left) with her students
Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha on March 19 sent a congratulatory letter to Ms. Ha Anh Phuong, who has been honoured in the list of Global Teacher Prize Top 50 finalists. Born in 1991, Ha Anh Phuong is an ethnic minority English Language high school teacher, living and working in a mountainous area. The institution she works at, Huong Can High School, is located in an area of the northern province of Phu Tho where more than 90% of the students are ethnic minorities aged 15 to 18.
The Global Teacher Prize is a US$1 million award, presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. The Varkey Foundation established the prize in 2014, to recognise and celebrate the impact that teachers have around the world – not only on their students, but on the communities around them.
One COVID-19 patient discharged from hospital
A student returning from Daegu, the RoK, who is the 18th COVID-19 case in Vietnam, recovers and is allowed to go home on March 20. (Photo: NDO/Le Hong)
A COVID-19 patient, the 18th case detected in Vietnam, was declared free of the disease and allowed to go home on March 20. He was the first case detected in the northern province of Ninh Binh and had since been receiving treatment at the provincial General Hospital from March 7.
The male patient, born in Thai Binh province, was a student returning from Daegu, among the hardest hit areas of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Republic of Korea (RoK). He was sent to a concentrated quarantine facility on March 4 and admitted to hospital three days later after testing positive for the virus.
SMS campaign launched to support COVID-19 prevention
A text message campaign to call for public support for the country’s fight against the acute respiratory disease (COVID) caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was launched in Hanoi on March 19.
The Ministry of Information and Communications, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee’s Standing Board, the Health Ministry, and the Vietnam Red Cross Society jointly launched the campaign with the aim of raising funds to support COVID-19 prevention and control efforts. The campaign is taking place from March 19 to June 18, 2020. Supporters can join the programme by texting “CV n” to 1407, of which “n” is the number of support. Each text message will contribute at least VND20,000 (US$0.86) to the fund. All the money pooled by the programme will be used to buy medical equipment, necessities and support COVID-19 patients and those undergoing quarantine.
Winners of propaganda painting contest for ASEAN Chairmanship 2020 announced
The organising board will present three second, three third and ten consolation prizes.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced the winners of the propaganda painting contest for the VIetnam's ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020. The contest was launched in January, aiming to raise public awareness of ASEAN and the year in which Vietnam takes over the role of ASEAN Chair.
The contest attracted hundreds of entries that highlight the theme of “ASEAN - Cohesive and Responsive” as well as the image of a peaceful, stable, safe and friendly Vietnam along with the socio-economic achievements of the country. The organising board will present three second, three third and ten consolation prizes and one movement award to units and individuals with the most outstanding works.
