Photo for illustration (Source: thuongtruong.com.vn)
The export of medical masks has become saturated due to COVID-19 control globally.
However, the General Department stated that the export volume of the masks had endured a downward trajectory since May. Statistics show local businesses exported 64.7 million such pieces in January, 48.08 million in February, 60.72 million in March, and 62.45 million in April. The monthly export figure then fell considerably to 21.45 million in May and 20.07 million in June.
Following the abolition of an export cap in April 2020, the export of the masks bounced back again, starting in the following month.
Businesses shipped over 181 million medical masks in May and more than 236 million pieces in June, 2020, a record high figure.
For the entirety of 2020, Vietnamese businesses exported more than 1.37 billion medical masks of all kinds.
FV Hospital has Vietnam’s first drive-through COVID-19 testing station
FV Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has announced the installation of Vietnam’s first drive-through COVID-19 testing station using the RT-PCT method, said the Nhan Dan newspaper.
Photo for illustration (Source: VGP)
The station, located at the parking area of the Mega Mall shopping centre in Thu Duc City, is designed to provide people with a convenient and safe means to test for coronavirus.
According to FV Hospital’s chief marketing officer Nguyen Thi Le Thu, people can have their swabs collected from in their cars or on their motorbikes by a team of highly trained nurses.
The station is operational from 8am to 7pm and the testing results will be available within 24 hours.
The drive-through testing station is FV Hospital’s latest initiative in the joint efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, the hospital has administered over 60,000 vaccine doses to local residents.
The hospital has been split into two, with one half devoted to COVID-19 patients with 63 regular beds, 11 ventilator beds and 15 systems of high flow nasal canula.
Phu Quoc’s tourism promoted on YouTube
A video clip titled “Viet Nam: Di de yeu! Roam Phu Quoc” was officially launched on YouTube on September 22, aiming to give viewers a taste of the “Pearl Island” - Phu Quoc.
Sao beach in Phu Quoc (Photo: vnexpress.net)
The clip is part of a programme promoting Vietnamese tourism on YouTube organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), with support from Vinpearl and Google, said the Vietnam News Agency.
It made debut at a time the tourism sector is preparing to welcome international visitors back to Phu Quoc.
The over-60-second video offers viewers a brief tour of renowned places in the island district such as Mong Tay and Gam Ghi islets, the Truc Lam Ho Quoc Zen Monastery, Phu Quoc United Centre - the largest entertainment and resort complex in Vietnam, and Hon Thom Cable Car - the world’s longest sea cable car system.
Beautiful beaches, crystal clear seawater, and fresh seafood are also highlights of the clip, promising an ideal destination for tourists to enjoy.
With vivid images, it helps popularise the beauty of this island and encourage travel lovers to explore this place when possible, according the VNAT.
The VNAT said Phu Quoc is scheduled to welcome foreign tourists back on a trial basis in October. The pilot programme is only applied to those involved in package tours organised by travel companies and coming from markets that have high COVID-19 safety.
International visitors need to have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered from the disease, and test negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The pilot move is expected to be an impulse for the tourism sector and popularise Vietnam as a safe and attractive tourist destination./.