All passengers are required to make a health declaration and have their body temperature checked before being transferred to a concentrated quarantine facility. (Photo: VOV)
They were all Vietnamese citizens who had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and had tested negative before their departure.
Upon their arrival, the passengers underwent medical examinations and were then transferred to a local hotel for a seven-day concentrated medical isolation instead of a 14-day normal process.
The plane and parts of the airport were also disinfected to prevent the possible spread of the virus.
This is the first pilot flight that has brought passengers with a vaccine passport to Vietnam.
Under a recently issued decision by the Ministry of Health, all passengers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the last dose given within at least 14 days and not more than 12 months by the time of entry.
In addition, they must have test results for SARS-CoV-2 through RT-PCR/RT-LAMP methods within 72 hours before departure and certified by the competent authority of the host country.
The vaccinated passengers will undergo a seven-day isolation as opposed to 14 days as normally.
The new pilot scheme has been drawn up to create conditions for Vietnamese nationals to return to the homeland, and for businesses and experts to come and work in Vietnam.
The Government and Quang Ninh will review the model to see if it is replicated, according to local officials.
Van Don airport is scheduled to receive another similar flight repatriating Vietnamese nationals from the United States on September 12.
Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant expected to join national grid by April 30, 2022
Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has asked the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) to exert more effort to connect the Thai Binh 2 thermal Power plant to the national grid by April 30, 2022 instead of June 2022 as originally set out by PVN, reported Nhan Dan News.
Deputy PM Le Van Thanh inspects construction items at the Thai Binh 2 thermal power plant. (Photo: VGP)
The Deputy PM made the request while visiting the plant in Thai Thuy district, Thai Binh province on September 4, his second visit to the plant within over the past month.
According to PVN, the group has set a target to connect the first turbine of the plant to the national grid on June 8, 2022 and put it into commercial operation on November 30, 2022 while the second turbine is scheduled to begin commercial operation on December 31, 2022.
PVN Deputy General Director Pham Tien Dung said that PVN calculated the necessary costs to complete the project by the end of 2022 to ensure that they will not exceed the total adjusted investment plan approved for the project.
Deputy PM Le Van Thanh lauded PVN for having addressed a number of issues in a short time, creating important initial changes to complete the project by the end of 2022 as requested by the government.
The government official said that he will inspect the construction site and hold meetings with the units in charge of the project once a quarter to solve problems in a bid to connect the plant to the national grid by April 30, 2022 because the operation of the plant will save tens of billions of Vietnamese dong per day.
He also suggested the organisation of three working shifts per day to accelerate the progress of the project while paying more attention to workers and giving rewards to collectives and individuals showing initiative in shortening the duration of the project.
Programme introduced to help connect producers and consumers
Customers choose vegetables at a supermarket in HCM City during an earlier lockdown. (Photo: VNA)
The Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) has launched a programme to connect and support the sales of agricultural products on a national scale, reported Vietnam News Agency.
During an online conference held by the ministry in Hanoi earlier this week, high-ranking officials, local leaders and businesses across the country discussed current challenges and limitations faced by agricultural producers in recent months, especially in light of the many recent lockdowns that have gone into effect to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Some 1,300 supply points and 58 depots have been built to distribute over one trillion tonnes of agricultural products per day during the most recent lockdown imposed in Ho Chi Minh City, the country's largest economic hub and home to more than 9 million people, according to a ministry report.
During the lockdown, the ministry established numerous websites and hotlines to connect and support sales of agricultural products. The ministry has introduced combo sales such as the 10-kg combo of products for 100,000 VND (4.4 USD), which has quickly become a best-seller in the southern city. Similar combo sales have also been rolled out in other provinces under lockdown in the Mekong Delta including the provinces of Binh Duong and Tien Giang.
In the future, the programme will help connect suppliers, producers, retailers and consumers. It will also provide producers with management training, digitalisation guideline and geo-tagging support and serve as a platform for local leaders to work with agricultural experts and policy-makers.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said the programme was designed to assist producers find the right markets, both domestically and internationally.
The programme will also start collecting information on speciality products of localities across the country to build a database, which will support central and local government agencies in planning and in providing warnings and guidance on agricultural production in a timely manner./.