Memorable photos of Vietnam during the Covid-19 epidemic appeared on the big screen of Times Square of the USA.

The photos shown are the top 6 winning works of “Kien Cuong Vietnam” – Photo contest to capture the country’s memorable moments during the Covid-19 pandemic. The photos appear solemnly on the big screen at the center of Times Square (USA) – the heart of worldwide media activity on October 15.

The photos appeared solemnly on the big screen at the center of Times Square (USA)

Here are the photos which appeared on the big screen at the center of Times Square (USA):

This photo won the first prize in the professional photograph category, taken on June 19, 2020 at 20h49 at the place to welcome citizens returning from abroad to perform isolation and monitoring of COVID-19 under the 814 Regiment – Military Command of Hoa Binh Province.

This work named Fragile Boundaries, First prize in the category of photos taken by phone with the character Gia Huy, who must be isolated from his family during the epidemic.

This photo is titled “Moment of Birth in the Season”. The photo won the Inspirational Photo Award, taken at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Since the early days of the epidemic, Vietnam has implemented many measures to prevent COVID-19 virus.

The first flight brought stranded passengers in Da Nang to Hanoi

Spray disinfectant at the Hoi An ancient town

Guide children in upland areas to wash their hands.

Nguyen Thanh Dat – winner of the first prize in phone photography, said: “I am very surprised and proud that my work is recognized and appeared at Time Square. I personally believe that the photo telling the story of my daily life not only having a chance to spread to the country but also to international friends. The world therefore can understand more about the difficult Covid 19 war in Vietnam, good values of the country and Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese people are always heroic and resilient in any war, in any difficulty”.

Photo contest “Kien Cuong Vietnam” is a community project launched by VNPR nationwide from August 24, 2020 to September 30, 2020, with the aim of spreading impressive images of Vietnam in the war against the epidemic COVID-19.

In just a short time since the project was launched, the Organizing Committee has received more than 1,000 entries from 350 professional and semi-professional authors from all over the country. The project not only attracts the attention of professional photographers, journalists, but also many other members of society such as students, office workers, chefs…

Source: Vietnamese Women Magazine/ Translated by Vietnam Insider’s staff

The Hanoi People’s Committee has permitted eight hotels to quarantine foreigners when they enter Vietnam in order to prevent COVID-19 spread, Vietnam Insider reported.

Those being quarantined at these hotels will have to pay their own costs, according to a post on Monday on the verified Facebook account of the Vietnamese government.

Related: It’s official: Vietnam Airlines resumes international flights

The eight include:

1. Hoa Binh Hotel at 27 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hang Bai Ward, Hoan Kiem District.
2. InterContinental Westlake Hanoi at 5 Tu Hoa Street, Quang An Ward, Tay Ho District.
3. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi at 15 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District.
4. Muong Thanh Grand Xa La Hotel at 66 Phuc La, Xa La Urban Area, Ha Dong District.
5. Binh An 3 Hotel in Lam Nghiep Hamlet, Minh Phu Commune, Soc Son District.
6. Crowne Plaza West Hanoi at 36 Le Duc Tho Street, My Dinh 2 Ward, Nam Tu Liem District.
7. Binh An 1 Hotel in Binh An Hamlet, Trung Gia Commune, Soc Son District.
8. Wyndham Garden Hanoi at HH01 To Huu Street, Van Phuc Ward, Ha Dong District.

According to the Vietnam Insider, since September 1, arrivals to Vietnam have had to pay for the cost of their mandatory 14-day quarantine, the government said.

Stays at collective quarantine centers in the Southeast Asian nation had been free of charge, but people could opt to spend their quarantine at local hotels for a fee.

Those foreigners who are allowed to enter Vietnam and who will stay in the country for less than 14 days will not be subject to collective quarantine but they have to strictly adhere to COVID-19 prevention rules.

Hanoi allows 8 hotels to provide quarantine services for foreigners.

Vietnam began denying entry to foreign nationals on March 22 but the government allows foreign experts, skilled workers, investors, and diplomats to enter the country on a case-by-case basis.

The nation has suspended international flights since March 25 to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Since then, charter flights to the country have only been arranged to bring in experts, skilled workers, and diplomats, and to repatriate Vietnamese citizens stranded in other nations and territories due to the pandemic.

Vietnam has reported zero local coronavirus infections for 12 consecutive days, with the tally reaching 1,063, recoveries 926, and deaths 35.

Reporting by Viet Toan @ Tuoi Tre

Thailand is to ease its novel coronavirus procedures to allow more patients from abroad to get treatment from next month, a top health official said on Thursday, after appeals from hospitals eager to treat their overseas patients.

Thailand is a major hub for medical tourism, drawing patients from Asia, the Middle East and beyond. In 2019, it recorded 632,000 overseas patients who spent 122 billion baht ($3.9 billion), according to government data. Reuters reported.

But restrictions to fight the coronavirus have seen most foreign patients, along with most foreigners in general, kept out since April.

While there is no formal ban on foreign patients – except on anyone seeking treatment for COVID-19 and ailments that would draw on resources to manage the outbreak – they need approval for travel, which can be slow and difficult to get.

Only 172 foreign patients have been allowed in since a first easing of requirements in July, senior health official Tares Krassanairawiwong told Reuters, adding that 740 people had made official requests for entry.

But now more health facilities would be allowed to accept foreigners again, and more are expected to come.

“In phase two, another 100 hospitals and clinics will be approved to receive patients, from 120 today,” Tares said.

But hospital operators say the process has been slow and they have hundreds of overseas patients needing their treatment, some urgently.

“Four of our patients have died because they couldn’t get in,” the chairman of hospital operator Thonburi Healthcare Group Pcl, Boon Vasin, told Reuters.

“It’s a humanitarian issue because some countries don’t have the capacity for advanced procedures,” he said, citing patients needing treatment for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Boon said approvals were inconsistent and he urged authorities to clarify and relax the process.

According to Reuters, Thailand has had 3,404 confirmed coronavirus infections and 58 deaths and has gone more than three months without a case of domestic transmission.

Tares, who heads the Department of Health Services Support, said the procedures had to ensure safety but he expected the approval process to be faster.

He said he also expected people would be allowed to cross land borders from neighbouring Myanmar and Cambodia, major sources of patients.

($1 = 31.2100 baht)

Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Robert Birsel

The Philippines will allow the entry of foreign nationals with long-term visas into the country from Aug. 1, the presidential spokesman says. Foreigners with valid and existing visas will need to undergo quarantine upon arrival. Applications for new entry visas will not be accepted and returning Filipinos will have priority on inbound flights, given existing caps on airport capacity.

Singapore will strengthen rules on travelers coming from coronavirus hot spots, including Japan, Hong Kong and Australia’s Victoria state, mandating quarantine in dedicated facilities for those who had been in those regions in the 14 days prior to arrival. Affected travelers will no longer be able to quarantine at their residences.

Here is the briefing of how the disease has spread today from Nikkei:

South Korea approves an early-stage clinical trial of Celltrion’s experimental COVID-19 treatment, making it the country’s first such antibody drug to be tested on humans. It anticipates primary results from the studies by the end of the year and aims to commercialize the drug by early 2021.

Kyrgyzstan adds thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths to its COVID-19 tally, describing them as cases of pneumonia most likely caused by the coronavirus but not confirmed by testing. It reports a total of 23,783 confirmed cases and COVID-like pneumonia as of Friday, having previously reported 12,498 COVID-19 cases. Similarly, the number of deaths surged to 785 from 167.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says normal life will not fully return until November at the earliest, cautioning that nightclubs need to remain closed and wedding receptions capped. He said sports stadiums can bring back spectators in October.

British Airways, the world’s largest operator of Boeing 747s, is retiring its entire jumbo jet fleet. The company had been planning to retire the aircraft in 2024. “It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect,” the company said in a statement.

Indonesia reports 1,462 new coronavirus infections, down from 1,574 a day earlier, bringing the total number of cases to 83,130. Fatalities from COVID-19 rose by 84 to 3,957.

Hong Kong authorities report 50 locally transmitted coronavirus cases on Friday, stoking concern about an escalating third wave of infections in the global financial hub.

The Philippines records 17 more coronavirus deaths and 1,841 new infections, with the capital, Manila, accounting for the bulk of newly confirmed cases and fatalities. Total deaths have reached 1,660, while confirmed infections have risen to 63,001.

Cathay Pacific Airways warns that it expects a net loss of $1.28 billion for the first half of 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But the airline says it plans to add more flights, even as its outlook remains murky.

Urumqi, the capital of China’s far western region of Xinjiang, reports five new coronavirus cases. The city also reports eight new asymptomatic cases.

Tokyo confirms 293 new infections, sources tell Nikkei, marking the second straight day of record cases, following Thursday’s 286. The virus’s resurgence in the nation’s capital has forced the Japanese government to exclude Tokyo residents from claiming a travel subsidy aimed at reviving the domestic tourism industry.

India’s coronavirus cases cross the million mark on Friday, with yet another record rise of 34,956 in the previous 24 hours. The total number of fatalities has jumped to 25,602, up 687 since Thursday morning in the biggest single-day spike so far.

Australia’s second-most populous state of Victoria reports a record increase in daily new coronavirus cases for the second straight day. Victoria recorded 428 new infections, a day after logging its previous high of 317 new cases.

South Korea confirms 60 new cases, down from 61 a day ago, with total coronavirus infections reaching 13,672 and 293 deaths.

Nurses hold a demonstration to highlight hygiene practices amid the coronavirus pandemic in St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S., on July 15. © Reuters

The U.S. confirms 71,229 new infections, topping 70,000 cases in a single day for the first time, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Florida and Texas lead the states by each registering more than 10,000 cases. The death toll also rises to 977 fatalities, up from 855 a day earlier.

@ https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Coronavirus-Free-to-read/Coronavirus-latest-Singapore-tightens-rules-on-travelers-from-Japan-Hong-Kong

With Covid-19 still affecting many countries, Vietnam is not yet ready to open up to international tourists, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Wednesday.

The top priority for the government is protecting people’s health, he said at a government meeting in Hanoi.

Phuc ordered relevant agencies to not let a second wave of coronavirus break out in Vietnam and safeguard the outstanding performance of the country in the fight against the pandemic.

Related: Cambodia has re-opened its borders with Vietnam

Vietnam has gone over two months without community transmission.

The country is not yet ready to welcome back foreign tourists since some Asian countries like China and South Korea have been struggling with a second wave and the global situation has not improved.

The government would carefully assess the regional and international situations to decide when to resume international flights, the premier stated.

Earlier this month in a document the government said that Tokyo, Seoul, mainland China’s Guangzhou City, Taiwan and Laos could be among destinations being considered for resumption of flights.

Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways have announced plans to resume international operations to destinations in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and mainland China from July 1, and are awaiting official approval.

But many experts have warned these plans are impossible to achieve given the fresh outbreaks in Asia and that talks with other countries on lifting travel bans are still on.

At the meeting on Wednesday the PM said recruiters could send Vietnamese guest workers abroad if they are accepted by the recipient countries.

He ordered relevant agencies to make clear and facilitate procedures for foreign experts, investors and high-skilled workers to enter Vietnam with “suitable forms of quarantine”.

Vietnam has suspended all international flights since March 25 and banned entry of foreign nationals since March 22 except for special cases.

The country’s Covid-19 tally is 352 by Thursday morning, and the number of active cases is 23 as the rest have recovered after treatment. The latest cases are those repatriated and quarantined upon arrival.

The novel coronavirus has claimed 479,000 lives in 212 countries and territories.

China’s capital of Beijing with more than 20 million people reported its first case in the latest wave on June 11, with over 200 so far confirmed positive for the virus. Beijing is facing a second wave of Covid-19, linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market, a food distribution center in the city.

Reporting by Viet Tuan, Nguyen Quy @ VNExpress

The Australia’s Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia’s borders will remain closed for “a significant amount of time”, in order to maintain its status as an “island sanctuary” from the coronavirus.

Mr Hunt was responding to a question on ABC Radio National this morning about whether Australia would remain closed off from the world for the World Health Organisation’s new estimated vaccine development time of two-and-a-half years.

Health Minister Greg HuntCREDIT:ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN

“I do think that the international border closures will remain in place for a very significant time,” he said. By Rachael Dexter

Melbourne primary school closed over positive COVID-19 case

A primary school in one of the worst affected hotspots in Melbourne has closed today after a student tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a letter from the school, seen by The Age, Keilor Views Primary School will be closed from today for at least three days.

“This closure will allow time for the school and DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) to undertake a full risk assessment and allow appropriate cleaning of the school site,” the letter reads.

“Close contacts of the student will be notified by DHHS and supported to ensure they understand what actions to take,” – By Rachael Dexter

Brunswick East Primary School also closed over coronavirus case

A second primary school in one of Melbourne’s hotspot council areas has closed today after a student tested positive for COVID-19.

Brunswick East Primary, in Moreland local government area, has closed on Tuesday a DHHS spokeswoman confirmed.

“Further investigations will be undertaken by DHHS, the schools and DET to identify whether any staff or students are required to self-isolate, and to determine any further actions required to reduce the risk of infection,” she said.

It’s the second school to close on Tuesday, after Keilor Views Primary School, in the Brimbank local government area in Melbourne’s west, also had a student test positive. (see 8.45pm post) – By Rachael Dexter

@ SMH

Beijing banned high-risk people from leaving the Chinese capital and halted some transportation services on Tuesday to stop the spread of a fresh coronavirus outbreak to other cities and provinces.

China’s financial hub of Shanghai demanded some travelers from Beijing be quarantined for two weeks, as 27 new COVID-19 cases took the capital’s current outbreak to 106 since Thursday.

That makes it the most serious flare-up in China since February, stoking fears of a second wave of the respiratory disease which emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year and has now infected more than 8 million people worldwide.

“Beijing will take the most resolute, decisive, and strict measures to contain the outbreak,” Xu Hejian, spokesman at the Beijing city government, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The outbreak has been traced to the sprawling Xinfadi wholesale food centre in the southwest of Beijing where thousands of tonnes of vegetables, fruits and meat change hands each day.

Beijing had designated 22 neighborhoods as medium-risk areas as of Monday. Medium-risk areas are required to take stringent measures to block the potential entry of infection.

All high-risk groups in Beijing, such as people who are close contacts of confirmed cases, are not allowed to leave the city, state media reported on Tuesday, citing municipal officials.

All outbound taxi and car-hailing services have also been suspended. Some long-distance bus routes between Beijing and nearby Hebei and Shandong provinces were suspended.

Concerned about contagion risks, many provinces have imposed quarantine requirements on visitors from Beijing.

One suspected case who flew from Beijing to southwestern Sichuan province has become a confirmed case, health authorities said on Tuesday, and local officials are rounding up 111 close contacts for observation.

Hebei province reported four new cases, with two having come into direct contact with a virus carrier in the Chinese capital, and one being an operator at the Xinfadi market.

On Tuesday, Shanghai started to require travellers from medium-to-high risk COVID-19 areas in China to be quarantined for 14 days.

The stakes are high for Shanghai, which has been invited to host two Formula One races this season. U.S. airlines are also poised to resumes flights to the city.

‘WARTIME’ MODE

While not in a Wuhan-style lockdown, the Chinese capital has gone into a “wartime” mode on a district level, with local neighborhoods instituting 24-hour security checkpoints, closing schools and banning wedding banquets.

Overnight, some parts of Beijing including the city’s old-style hutong neighborhoods were fenced up, with some imposing single entry points.

“My neighborhood has four or five entry ways, and when the controls came, only the southern entrance was open, and we now need to show our entry cards and have our temperatures taken,” said a man surnamed Zhao who lives in the northeast of Beijing.

“It’s a big neighborhood with lots of office workers, so it is extremely inconvenient for a lot of people.”

However, in Huaxiang, the only neighborhood currently designated as high-risk, some residents demanded officials impose more stringent contact tracing protocols.

Officials were relying on people to identify themselves as having visited the Xinfadi centre 9 kilometres away, residents said.

“How can you hope for people to be honest enough to voluntarily report their links with Xinfadi?” said a male Huaxiang resident surnamed Yuan. “Since we’re in a ‘wartime’ mode, the local authorities should test everyone.”

Reporting by Ryan Woo, Liangping Gao, Tina Qiao, Lusha Zhang and Se Young Lee, Winni Zhou in Shanghai; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Jane Wardell.

@ Reuters