Day: October 4, 2021

The northern province of Bac Giang, which has gone through 30 days without any COVID-19 infection in the community, allowed its tourism sites and the Yen Dung golf course to reopen for visitors from pandemic-free localities, dubbed green zones, nationwide on October 4.

The move is done in a bid to gradually resume socio-economic activities in the province, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

To enter the province, tourists must be fully vaccinated, with their last shots of the COVID-19 vaccine done in at least 14 days and less than 12 months prior to the time they arrive in Bac Giang. They also need to provide a negative testing result within 72 hours.

All local tourism sites are required to seriously follow pandemic prevention regulations, including the Ministry of Health’s 5K message – khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) and khai bao y te (health declaration).

Earlier, Bac Giang lifted its temporary close order on businesses, eateries, some education establishments, and spa and massage service facilities. The authorities also allowed the resumption of sport activities.

In more than a month, the province has posted no community cases of COVID-19.

Bac Giang is accelerating the vaccination drive, with 609,220 doses of the vaccine given to date, covering 32.6 percent of the local population.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Prime Minister has approved an investment plan for the first phase of the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway project, which is expected to speed up travel between Dong Nai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City.

The total investment will be about 19.6 trillion VND (862.7 million USD). Around 6.6 trillion VND will come from the State’s budget to cover land clearance compensation and relocation.

The expressway is expected to ease congestion on National Highway 51. It will be around 53.7 kilometres long, connecting Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau.

It will have a speed limit of no more than 100 kilometres per hour, and be built under the public-private partnership (PPP) model and Build – Operate – Transfer model.

It will run parallel to National Highway 51 and cut through the HCM City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway and Ben Luc – Long Thanh expressway.

The first phase of the project will include four lanes, except for the segment between the two intersections between the expressway and HCM City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay and Ben Luc – Long Thanh, which will have six lanes instead.

Investment and construction will be carried out from 2021 to 2026.

The project will add to traffic infrastructure needed to fully utilise Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port and the future Long Thanh international airport.

The Ministry of Transport, which is in charge of the project, plans to survey potential investors and work with other authorities on the project’s feasibility study. It targets choosing an investor by the end of 2022.

Vietnam aims to develop additional 4,000km of expressways by 2030.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Leaders of southern Bac Lieu province on October 3 and 4 visited and presented gifts to Khmer people on the occasion of their traditional Sene Dolta Festival.

Sene Dolta, which is celebrated from the 30th day of the eighth lunar month to the second day of the ninth lunar month each year, is one of the most important religious festivals for the Khmer ethnic people, along with Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) and Ooc Oom Bok to thank the Moon for a good harvest.

During the event, people gather to pay homage to their ancestors and enjoy traditional singing and dancing after a year of hard work.

The local leaders briefed dignitaries, monks, nuns at Khmer pagodas on socio-economic achievements recorded by Vietnam and Bac Lieu province in particular over the past time.

The Party and State have synchronously rolled out many policies towards the Khmer people in terms of housing, production and economic development, helping to raise their living standards, they said.

They expressed their hope that the dignitaries, monks, nuns and Khmer people will carry forward the tradition of patriotism, preserve their cultural identities, join hands in new-style rural area building, and celebrate the festival in line with COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

The dignitaries, monks and nuns promised to better preform their role in representing the Khmer community, contributing to the preservation of the traditional culture of the Khmer people.

Source: Vietnam News Agency