The Health Ministry issues new guidance on medical measures for F0, F1 cases. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
The new guidance gives new definitions of COVID-19 patients (or F0), and F1 cases, along with medical measures for them, which takes into account the high vaccination coverage and a strong decline in both serious cases and fatalities due to COVID-19, reported VNA.
Accordingly, F0 patients are those testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR method, or those who either show clinical symptoms or have epidemiological factors, and have positive antigen test result.
People who have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients, or F1 cases, are now no longer required to self-quarantine (covid-19.gov.vn)
Meanwhile, F1 cases are those who have direct body contact with F0(s) during the transmission period, or stay together with F0(s) within 1m in distance or in closed space for at least 15 minutes wearing masks or not, or personally care for, give checking and treatment to F0 during the transmission period without wearing personal protective equipment.
The new rules require both F0 and F1 cases to follow prescribed epidemic prevention measures.
Even though no longer required to self-quarantine, F1 cases are required to wear facemasks, regularly wash or disinfect hands, and avoid close contact with others. They should self-monitor their health and quickly contact medical establishments when having suspicious symptoms in order to receive testing, consultation, medical checks and treatment.
The new guidance replaces the previous ones on the definition of F0 and F1 cases and relevant medical quarantine measures.
Chinese Taiwan increases tea imports from Vietnamese market
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the first two months of this year, Taiwan (China) imported the highest volume of tea from Vietnam, with 2,000 tonnes, worth US$3 million, up 3.5% in volume and 0.9% in value over the same period from last year.
Taiwan's tea imports from Vietnam accounts for 47.7% of its total tea imports, an increase of 5 percentage points on-year, reported VOV.
The Import-Export Department under the MoIT cited data from the Taiwan Customs Administration as saying that tea imports into the Taiwanese market throughout the reviewed period reached 419,000 tons, worth US$12.56 million.
The average price of imported tea from Vietnam stood at roughly US$1,519 per ton. Tea imports from Vietnam accounted for 47.7% of total tea imports of the Taiwanese market, a rise of 5 percentage points on-year.
The opening two months of 2022 saw the Taiwanese market increase black tea imports from Vietnam, and reduce imports from Sri Lanka and India.
The Taiwanese market imports green tea primarily from Vietnam and Japan. In which, the average import price of green tea from Vietnam is low priced at around US$1,639 per tonne, while that from Japan is high at US$11,719.4 per tonne.
Algeria remains potential market for Vietnamese farm produce
A consultation session on export to the Algerian market will be held on April 19 in Ho Chi Minh City as part of activities in the national programme on trade promotion in 2022, VNA quoted the sayings of Deputy Director of the Trade Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) Le Hoang Tai.
There is large room for Vietnam to increase its export of coffee to Algeria.
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
This will be the 7th among 30 consulting sessions on export to foreign markets hosted by the agency in coordination with trade offices of Vietnam abroad with the aim of helping Vietnamese businesses expand export market for their products.
During the event, enterprises will be updated on regulations, standards, import and export conditions of the Algerian market for a number of processed farm produce and foodstuffs, Tai said.
According to Tai, Algeria is one of the leading partners of Vietnam in Africa, and the two counties are striving to expand their relations across fields, including, economic, trade and investment cooperation.
Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Algeria Hoang Duc Nhuan said Algeria is a potential market for Vietnamese goods.
There is large room for Vietnam to increase its export of coffee to Algeria, which at present accounts for 65 percent of the country's total export value to this African market, he noted.
In addition, the country also has a high demand for other commodities from Vietnam such as rice, pepper and cinnamon, cashew nuts and freshwater aquatic products, which it cannot produce.
Nhuan said Vietnamese exporters should carefully study the market, particularly its policies related to tariffs, labour laws, payment methods, disputes, and debt recovery.
Statistics of the General Department of Vietnam Customs shows that the bilateral trade between Vietnam and Algeria is still modest, with Vietnam’s export turnover to Algeria reached only 153 million USD last year and 30.6 million USD in the first quarter of 2022.
Wood industry fosters chief information officers to speed up digital transformation
According to VNA, the National Private Economic Development Research Board and the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City have launched an initiative to develop a chief information officer network for the wood and wood processing industry to foster its digital transformation.
At the ceremony to launch an initiative to develop a chief information officer network for the wood and wood processing industry. (Photo: VNA)
Meant to provide professional training, help improve leadership and management capacity to create quality IT solutions and create breakthroughs for enterprises, the initiative has attracted much attention.
It will seek applications from CIOs to attend a two-day training camp designed specifically for the wood industry, to be held between April and July.
The training content will provide the necessary information, skills and tools for CIOs to master digitisation and digital transformation at their business.
Then there will be three workshops on digital transformation, technology management and leaders' vision with industry executives taking part.
The launch of the initiative also marked a tie-up between the board, which is managed by the Government’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform, HAWA, CIO Vietnam, and the Asia Foundation in Vietnam (TAF).
According to experts, digital transformation will help companies improve their capacity and corporate governance.
However, since each business has different qualities, there is no common path for it and so there are also a number of different solutions, and businesses need to determine where they are in the digital transformation process to make the most accurate investment decisions, they added.
The launching ceremony took place on the sidelines of the Vietnam Furniture Matching Week from April 13 to 20./.