A health worker handles samples collected for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – ThePrime Minister has requested all ministries, sectors, and localities to ramp upefforts against COVID-19 in the face of the new variant Omicron.
According to the PM’sofficial dispatch issued on December 19, the COVID-19 pandemic remains highlyunpredictable around the world amid the emergence of Omicron, which has beenfound to spread much faster than the Delta variant.
Though Vietnam hasn’t seen anyOmicron cases, the numbers of infections, patients in critical condition, andrelated deaths have still been on the rise, and the healthcare systems in somelocalities have become overloaded, it said.
Facing that fact and the highpossibility of recording Omicron in the country, the PM asked the Ministry ofHealth to keep a close watch on the global pandemic situation to make timelyguidelines, propose necessary and appropriate measures to the PM, and increasemonitoring so as to detect any new variant early.
All ministries, sectors, and provincial-levelPeople’s Committees have to step up the application of COVID-19 prevention andcontrol measures, boost examination, and strictly deal with those who violateanti-pandemic rules.
The Government leader toldthe Health Ministry and provincial-level administrations to organise as safeand fast as possible vaccination and ensure that no persons subject tovaccination are left without full inoculation, especially the ones in high-riskgroups.
They were also requested toincrease training in home treatment to avoid overloading at higher-leverhospitals and enhance the capacity of the healthcare system at all levels.
Meanwhile, the Ministry ofInformation and Communications was demanded to promptly complete IT tools andwork with relevant sides to conduct uniform and effective application. This ministryalso needs to coordinate with the Party Central Committee’s Information andEducation Commission to step up communications to raise public awareness of thepandemic, Omicron, and prevention measures, according to the dispatch./.
Fully vaccinated foreign arrivals with negative COVID-19 test results will only need to self-quarantine at home or places of accommodation for three days upon entry into Vietnam by air, according to the latest guidance from the Ministry of Health issued on December 16.
A ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 16 to honour religious dignitaries and followers who made contributions to the city’s COVID-19 fight.
The Italy – Vietnam Cultural Bridge Association in Italy and the Vietnamese community in Cyprus have raised 5,000 EUR in support of Vietnamese children who lost their parents to COVID-19 pandemic.
Students in areas with high pandemic risks, or “orange zones”, will suspend direct learning and return to online learning from December 20, according to a proposal of the municipal Department of Education and Training, which urges district departments of education and training and schools reported to district authorities for approval.
A total of 16,110 new infections of COVID-19, including 17 imported cases, were reported in Vietnam during 24 hours from 4pm December 18 to 4pm December 19, according to the Ministry of Health.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Dr. Kobelev, born in 1938 in Ulyanovsk, was among the first Soviet scholars to specialise in Vietnam. As a former TASS correspondent during the war in Vietnam, he worked closely with Vietnamese institutions and later helped found Russia’s Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN Studies.
A health worker handles samples collected for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA) 
