Covid-19 situation:

Vietnam Nationwide

• Many airlines in Vietnam have announced their resumption of domestic passenger flight routes starting Oct 21, following the permission of the transport authorities as the COVID-19 pandemic is subsiding nationwide.
• More than two million AstraZeneca vaccine doses donated by Italy arrived in Hanoi on Oct 15, bringing its total donations to Vietnam to nearly 2.8 million doses.
• The Hungarian government presented Vietnam with 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 100,000 antigen test kits on Oct 19.
• Russia and Singapore have expressed interest in resuming regular commercial flights to Vietnam to revive trade and tourism post-Covid-19.
• Vietnam currently accepts Covid-19 vaccine passports from 72 countries and territories, and is discussing the issue with 80 others, the foreign ministry said on Oct 21.
• Central Vietnam localities are struggling to convince workers to stay back even as labor demand rises in southern localities, where factories are reopening after the pandemic-induced hiatus.

Ho Chi Minh City

• Many companies and manufacturers in southern Vietnam are scrambling to recruit employees, offering higher salaries and benefits, as they seek to return to normal production levels after months of lockdowns. They are trying to persuade workers to return to HCMC by sending them messages that their safe travel would be taken care of and they would get vaccinated.
• Functional forces stationed at checkpoints at 12 entrances to Ho Chi Minh City no longer require commuters to present negative COVID-19 test certificates.
• Ho Chi Minh City authorities plan to provide COVID-19 vaccination for about 780,000 children aged 12 to 17 from October 22. The vaccination drive is expected to last for five days.
• Heath authorities in Ho Chi Minh City on Oct 16 began administering Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to local residents at several vaccination sites in Thu Duc City.

Hanoi

• Authorities in Hanoi decided to remove all COVID-19 checkpoints at the city’s gateways on Oct 15 and will only maintain traffic police forces to control navigation.
• Hanoi stands firm on pursuing safe and flexible adaptation to the Covid-19 pandemic for socio-economic development and effective control of the situation.
• Hanoi will remove 22 checkpoints at the entrances to the capital city after more than three months in operation.

Khanh Hoa (Nha Trang)

• Authorities in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa have allowed residents living in coronavirus-free areas to visit local beaches from Oct 16 following a prolonged period of social distancing.
• After 3 months of facing the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, the economy of Khanh Hoa Province was severely affected. To achieve the highest socio-economic results in 2021, the Provincial People’s Committee has proposed key solutions, focusing on economic recovery in the last months of the year.
• Schools reopened in some localities in Khanh Hoa Province on October 18 after closure due to Covid-19,  getting students back to in-person learning.

Da Nang

• Till date business establishments in Da Nang have been reopened, except for certain industries following the city’s regulations. However, a large number of workers are still stuck in their hometowns due to COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the temporary short of workers of service businesses.
• Da Nang will allow dine-in service from Oct 16, as the coastal city has found no local COVID-19 cases for two weeks.
• The tourism administration in Da Nang has suggested welcoming back domestic and international visitors in November.