The Hanoitimes - Hanoi is entering a more intense phase of the fight against the coronavirus and it challenges the city's efforts if secondary transmission is not well managed. Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the Hanoi People’s Committee has repeated the call on local residents to stay at home “as much as possible” to avoid contagion of the new coronavirus which is sweeping every part of the world. Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the Hanoi People’s Committee. Photo: Thanh Nien Locals should stay limit outdoor activities from now until April 5, and when out people need to wear facial masks, practice social distancing of at least two meters, and move in one way direction at supermarkets, the mayor said at a meeting late on March 23. The reason is that Hanoi is at high risk of pandemic contagion in the next two weeks that is the incubation period (the time between exposure to the virus and the appearance of the first symptoms). Vietnam has applied mandatory 14-day … [Read more...] about Hanoi people advised to stay at home to avoid corona infection
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Hanoi calls on people to avoid religious gatherings
The Hanoitimes - People are requested to minimize outdoor activities, refrain from traveling by public transport and leave home out of necessity . Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung on March 25 repeated a call that local residents avoid public gatherings, including religious sites. West Lake Temple announces to close until March 31. (Photo: Zing) He referred to the turnout of hundreds of people, many even without wearing face masks, to the West Lake Temple on March 24, the first day of lunar March. As public gatherings are one of the biggest sources of coronavirus contagion, given the complicated pandemic situation in Hanoi with high risk of outbreak, Hanoians should comply with the government instruction of not leaving home out of necessity, Chung added. The city’s mayor asked to investigate the responsibility of the authorities at district and ward-level as well as those who are in charge of the temple for the turnout. … [Read more...] about Hanoi calls on people to avoid religious gatherings
The Local Game: Time to put fans first
Passionate Bình Định FC supporters ahead of their match with Sài Gòn FC earlier this season. Photo laodong.vn Peter Cowan Legendary Celtic manager Jock Stein once said that football without fans is nothing, or something to that effect. Even my Rangers supporting friends would have say he hit the nail on the head with that one and most people the world over would agree that the beautiful game is best served in front of a pair of baying mobs chanting bloody murder at each other. While we’ve all gotten somewhat used to watching matches without a crowd due to the pandemic, even the money men in big-time football who normally couldn’t give a flying you-know-what about the punters are desperate to get the crowds (and their wallets) back in the grounds when it’s safe. Everyone is itching for fans to return, except it seems, the VPF. The organisers of domestic football recently announced that V.League 1 teams would return to action in two short weeks and also released … [Read more...] about The Local Game: Time to put fans first
On the truth about learning Vietnamese in Vietnam
It’s time to fess up: after several years of living in Vietnam, my Vietnamese language skills remain a disaster. It’s a veritable train wreck, there’s no getting around it. I have excuses which I replay in my mind in an effort to dull the pain of defeat, most of which are pretty lame. Vietnamese is a tough language for most foreigners to grasp, with endless pronunciation quirks representing the biggest obstacle between us and success. Fair enough, we all know that. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry wants to practice their English with us, so we, as guests, should indulge them, even at the expense of our own progress. That approach conveniently twists a feeble excuse for tires spinning in mud into a benevolent gesture, so that we feel we are making a contribution to the community when the truth is it’s laziness on the part of us foreigners. Those damn accents are the crux of the problem, and the cause for much despair, and there are lots of them – rising, falling, short, long, flat, bim, … [Read more...] about On the truth about learning Vietnamese in Vietnam
Scrap collector, grocery owner and a second-rate vehicle: all used to help others in Covid hotspot
A man earning his living as scrap dealer in Cam Giang district has transported food and foodstuff to provide to thousands of people in the Covid-19 Hotspot on his old motorbike. Diem and Hai have been carrying dozens of rice bags to provide to people in the quarantine area The Highway 5 section which goes across Tan Truong commune in Cam Giang district was deserted on February 23 noon. There were only vehicles helping agencies’ fight against Covid-19 and trucks carrying goods from the vegetable granaries of Kim Thanh and Gia Loc. Hai Duong has been in lockdown since February 16. At a grocery in Ghe hamlet, Vu Thi Hai, 55, and her husband, Do Cong Son, could be seen classifying bags of vegetables and putting eggs into trays. This was donated food to be carried away to those who needed it. When they were about to finish the work, an old motorbike arrived. Three of them picked up the bags of classified food and put them on the motorbike. Not far from Hai’s grocery is a … [Read more...] about Scrap collector, grocery owner and a second-rate vehicle: all used to help others in Covid hotspot