High volume of traffic on Nguyen Van Cu street in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City on August 20 morning. — (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s current pandemic hotspot, will intensify COVID-19 prevention and control measures beginning on August 23.
The move aims at realising the goal that the pandemic be put under control before September 15.
Under a document that was issued by the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Prime Mininister’s Directive 16 must be strictly implemented in the city. Accordingly, residents are urged to “stay where they are.”
The city will seriously implement “thorough isolation between people, families, wards, and communes”.
Special working groups will be set up at wards or places identified as high-risk and extremely high-risk zones. The groups will inspect and call on people to observe social distancing measures and maintain green zones.
ꦛ The movement of residents will continue to be controlled. Employees of state agencies are encouraged to work at home.
Regarding social security, it is necessary to provide timely support for people in need of relief.
The city will also redouble efforts to care for COVID-19 patients, particularly those in critical conditions, and minimise fatalities. It will continue conducting mass testing at red-coded or “very high-risk” areas and accelerate the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
✤ The city’s Department of Industry and Trade was asked to coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s special working group to ensure adequate supplies of necessities to people during the time of heightening COVID-19 rules./.
A new intensive care unit (ICU) and a hospital for COVID-19 treatment were inaugurated in Ho Chi Minh City on August 18 to meet demand for treatment in the country’s largest hotspot.
Mobile medical stations will be established in the country's current largest COVID-19 hotspots of Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces, heard an online meeting on measures to stamp out the pandemic held on August 19 under the chair of Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.
Nineteen southern provinces and cities have provided relief aid for more than 635,000 freelancers with a total amount of nearly 911 billion VND (40 million USD).
Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities are urging its residents to “stay where they are” and each house, residential zone and commune must keep isolated with each other, starting from August 23.
The first mobile medical station debuted at Ward 11, District 3 of Ho Chi Minh City on August 20, aiming to give health care services to COVID-19 patients at home, thus contributing to easing overload in concentrated treatment facilities and hospitals and minimising deaths.
Representatives of Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB) and Van Thinh Phat Group on August 20 presented 10 mobile COVID-19 testing vehicles to the health sector of Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam has over 4.8 million people exposed to AO/dioxin, including hundreds of thousands in the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many live with severe disabilities, facing high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that amnesty is a humanitarian policy of the Party and State, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and winning attention and high praise both domestically and internationally.
Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
Vietnam ranked among the top four countries and territories at the 2025 International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), reaffirming its strong position in international academic competitions.
All 20 crew members aboard the Vietnamese oil tanker GT Unity were successfully rescued from a fire in the vessel’s engine room, thanks to the swift response of the Liberian-flagged ship Androusa and Vietnamese maritime rescue teams.
Describing Agent Orange as one of the most severe and enduring legacies of the war in Vietnam, Vietnam's former Honorary Consul to Belgium Joseph-Michel de Grand Ry warned that its impact – still affecting generations more than five decades later – could last another two to three decades.
Running from August 4 to September 2, under the hashtag #TuHaoVietNam, the campaign invites participants in two categories: “I Love My Country” video clips and “I Love My Country” check-in photos.
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on the issuance date, introduces amendments that integrate the procedure for reporting and explaining the demand for foreign workers into the process of submitting applications for work permits.
With a tight 13-month deadline, the move is under a strategic and urgent policy to bridge educational gaps, train the local workforce, and shore up territorial sovereignty in some of the country’s most remote areas.
The parade and personnel send-off ceremony will officially take place on August 10 at the area surrounding the Statue of King Ly Thai To and Dinh Tien Hoang street of Hoan Kiem ward, with the participation of nearly 3,000 officers, soldiers, and local residents.
According to national technical regulations, AIS installation is mandatory for boats carrying more than 50 passengers. However, operators of smaller vessels (under 50 seats) in Ha Long Bay have voluntarily committed to completing installation by the deadline to enhance operational safety.
The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
Specifically, the ships will carry out patrols from 7am to 6pm daily along the main tourist routes in Ha Long Bay, with one ship permanently stationed at Ti Top island. From 6pm to 7am the following day, the mobile vessels return to Tuan Chau island to maintain a 24/7 on-call duty shift, ensuring constant readiness.
The Ministry of Construction (MoC) plans to open to traffic 208km of expressways of six key projects by August 19, bringing the country’s total expressway network to 2,476km.
As of July 1, a two-tier local government model started in 34 provinces and cities, streamlining administration but creating a surplus of public properties. If not promptly addressed, these assets could become a financial burden.
Whether they grow up to become journalists, diplomats, or professionals in other fields, these children can one day become bridges of friendship and cooperation, telling new and inspiring stories of Vietnam – China relations, said Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.
A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
High volume of traffic on Nguyen Van Cu street in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City on August 20 morning. — (Photo: VNA)
