People wear masks to prevent COVID-19 infection at a market in Srinagar, India, June 14, 2021. Photo: THX/VNA The most severely affected country is still the US with 615,247 deaths out of a total of 34,335,515 infections. Next is India with 377,061 deaths out of 29,617,058 cases. Brazil ranks third with 488,404 deaths out of 17,454,861 patients. As a percentage of population, Peru has the highest mortality rate, with 573 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Next is Hungary with 310 people and Bosnia-Herzegovina with 289 people/100,000 people. By region, Latin America and the Caribbean are currently the epicenter of the world’s epidemic, with more than 1.2 million deaths in over 35.1 million infections. Next is Europe, with over 53.6 million people infected with COVID-19, including over 1.15 million deaths. North America has over 625,800 deaths in over 34.8 million infections. Asia recorded over 540,400 deaths in over 38.4 million infections. The Middle East has over 146,400 deaths, Africa has recorded over 134,900 deaths, while the number of deaths in Oceania is over 1,100. On June 15, Thailand recorded 3,000 new infections, including 2,995 domestic infections. On the same day, the country had another 19 deaths. Prime Minister Prayut Chan o-cha said the government has ordered 100 million doses of vaccine and aims to vaccinate 50 million people, or 70 percent of the population, this year and is buying more to expand immunization to 80 – 90% of the population next year. On the same day, the Lao Ministry of Health said that the country recorded 15 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases nationwide to 2,025. Of the 15 new cases, 6 were community infections in the capital Vientiane and 9 imported cases were immediately isolated. According to the Lao Ministry of Health, the failure of a part of the people to strictly comply with epidemic prevention regulations is the cause of new cases in the community. To date, more than 1 million Lao people have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A vaccination site against COVID-19 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo: AFP/VNA In the past 24 hours, Cambodia recorded an additional 495 cases of COVID-19 and 13 deaths from this disease. Although the epidemic situation in Cambodia is still complicated, the Phnom Penh capital government still decided to allow the resumption of all business and trading activities at the state-managed markets in the city. The Cambodian Ministry of Health said that in the next few days, the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 will reach 3 million and the country is aiming for 10 million people to achieve herd immunity. According to the ministry’s report, so far 2,939,543 people in Cambodia have been vaccinated, or 29.4% of the total 10 million adults expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The number of new COVID-19 cases in Malaysia has been on a downward trend in recent days, after hitting record highs in May. Malaysian Health Ministry data released on June 15 confirmed an additional 5,419 cases. COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 667,876, including 3,968 deaths. The Malaysian government announced on June 15 that it had granted emergency use authorization for one-shot COVID-19 vaccines developed by CanSino Biologics (China) and Johnson & Johnson (USA). Malaysia is speeding up its vaccination program in tandem with strict lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As of June 14, this Southeast Asian country has administered at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to 3.28 million people, or 10% of the population. Vaccination against COVID-19 in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: AFP/VNA South Korea on June 15 recorded 374 new infections, bringing the total number of cases nationwide to 148,647. The country is planning to launch a trial of a new social distancing mechanism within three weeks, starting from the beginning of next month, while trying to prevent a spike in daily new infections. Accordingly, South Korea will lift the current ban on gatherings of 5 or more people and increase it to 8 people. Restaurants and cafes can stay open until midnight in the capital Seoul and surrounding areas, 2 hours later than the current curfew from 10pm. Currently, the capital Seoul and the surrounding area, along with the city of Daegu as well as the resort island of Jeju, are applying social distancing level 2 out of a 5-level scale, while the remaining areas are at level 2. 1.5. Mass gatherings of 5 or more people are prohibited. To date, about 13 million South Koreans, or 25% of the population, have received the first dose of the vaccine. Meanwhile, the Japanese Government has approved a new policy on increasing support for foreigners residing in Japan who have difficulties and obstacles in vaccination against COVID-19. Accordingly, the country will step up support and guide foreigners who are not familiar with the vaccination registration process at their places of residence, as well as have difficulties in contacting the vaccination department. In addition, the government will also promote the implementation of a multilingual portal on COVID-19 prevention measures. The Hong Kong government (China) has announced that it will relax the strict restrictive measures imposed since July last year for ships and boats docked at this Asian shipping hub. According to the Hong Kong maritime authority, from June 15, the crew of ships and boats that dock in this city for fuel or food will be exempt from restrictive measures depending on the situation. A COVID-19 test site in Hong Kong, China. Photo: AFP/VNA Israel has officially lifted the mandatory mask wearing in public places since June 15, after more than a year of implementation. Accordingly, buildings, offices, schools, hotels… will not require employees or visitors to wear masks when in this enclosed space. However, wearing a mask is still applied in a few special cases, for example, people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 who visit patient care facilities are at high risk of death if infected. infected, people on the way to quarantine or passengers on the plane. Earlier, on April 18, the Israeli Government also lifted the mandatory mask wearing rule outdoors and from June 1 lifted all social distancing measures after more than a year of application. Thanks to an effective vaccination campaign, the number of COVID-19 patients and the infection rate in Israel have dropped to a very low level. Also on June 15, the Indian Ministry of Health announced that it had recorded an additional 60,471 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, marking the eighth consecutive day that the number of new cases across India was below the threshold of 100,000 cases. Currently, the total number of COVID-19 cases in this South Asian country has reached 29,570,881 cases. Also in the past 24 hours, with an additional 2,726 deaths, the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in India has increased to 377,031 cases. In the capital New Delhi, after recording a sharp decrease in the number of new cases and deaths from COVID-19 in the last 2 weeks, restaurants and shops were allowed to reopen from June 14 with the evening hours. maximum 50% capacity. However, schools, educational facilities, swimming pools, gyms and public places remain closed. In Europe, the final stage of Britain’s COVID-19 lockdown lifting will be postponed to July 19 instead of June 21 as originally planned. The decision was taken as the UK recorded an increasing number of new cases of COVID-19 due to the emergence of the contagious Delta variant first detected in India. Scientists advising the British Government warn that the number of people needing hospital treatment due to COVID-19 will increase sharply again if the final phase of the blockade easing schedule takes place on June 21. according to the plan. According to the restrictions imposed to prevent COVID-19 in the UK, outdoor events are limited to a maximum of 30 people, indoor events up to 6 people. However, 15 pilot events are on track to ease the lockdown as planned, including upcoming EURO 2020 matches and art and music performances. Those attending these events must present a certificate of vaccination or test negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Some regions in Russia have tightened restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, while focusing on strengthening the response capacity of hospitals in the event of an increase in hospital admissions after the outbreak. as the number of new infections skyrocketed. On June 15, Russia added 14,185 new infections, of which 6,805 were in Moscow, bringing the total number of cases across the country to 5,236,593. In the past 24 hours, Russia also recorded an additional 379 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 127,780.

The white water lily (Shapla) is the symbol of Bangladesh. To the people of Bangladesh, the white water lily also symbolizes purity and peace. In the capital of Bangladesh, a large water lily statue was erected to show the nation’s respect for the flower. The current capital of Bangladesh is Dhaka city, located in central Bangladesh. This is the major industrial, cultural and commercial center of this country; area of ​​815.85 km2, population more than 7 million people. Dhaka became the capital of Bangladesh in 1971. Bangladesh is officially the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, a country in South Asia, along with countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal… This country has a natural area of ​​nearly 150,000 square kilometers, a population of 166 million people. Myanmar is the only country in Southeast Asia that borders Bangladesh in the southeast of this South Asian country. Bangladesh borders India, Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal. The country’s name means “Country of the Bengal”, referring to the Indo-Aryan ethnic group living in the Bengal region of South Asia. Bangladesh is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world, with more than 80% of the population (148 million people), being Sunni Muslims – the largest branch of Islam. The current currency of Bangladesh is the Bangladeshi Taka. The Bangladeshi taka was introduced in 1972, a year after Bangladesh became an independent country.

A person with COVID-19 has appeared on the top of the world’s 7th highest mountain Dhaulagiri. Photo: Nepal Travel Guide According to Sputnik, in the past two days alone, at least 19 people have been evacuated from the main stop on the top of Dhaulagiri after some showed signs of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. After testing, 7 of the evacuated climbers tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Mr. Mingma Sherpa – Chairman of Dhaulagri Seven Summits travel agency confirmed the latest developments. Located in western Nepal, Dhaulagiri is the 7th highest mountain in the world. The second wave of COVID-19 is causing extremely heavy damage to India and neighboring South Asian countries. Nepal – a country with a population of 30 million people similar to the Indian capital New Delhi – has begun to record more than 2,000 new infections a day. In April, a Norwegian climber was the first to test positive for COVID-19 after being taken from the Everest base station to a hospital in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, for testing. The climber said he had symptoms similar to high-altitude pulmonary edema, which is common among people 2,500 meters above sea level. To date, Mount Everest has seen at least 30 climbers infected with COVID-19. Despite consistently recording COVID-19 cases on top of the world’s highest mountain, Nepal remains open to expeditions to balance its economy hit by the pandemic. The Ministry of Tourism of Nepal has issued permits for 377 climbers to climb Mount Everest. After detecting positive cases of COVID-19 at the Everest and Dhaulagiri rest stops, the Nepalese military began to conduct tests on the remaining climbers. Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain range, China suspended tours to explore Everest before the pandemic.

The island nation of Maldives is a tourist attraction. (Source: business-standard) The Maldives Islands have decided entry ban for people from South Asian countries; including India, in an effort to prevent the spread of the acute respiratory infection pandemic COVID-19 . The Maldives Ministry of Tourism on May 12 said: “The Maldivian government has decided to temporarily stop issuing tourist visas to visitors from South Asian countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.” The ban also applies to passengers who transit more than 24 hours in these countries and who have been to these countries within the past 14 days. Meanwhile, guests from other countries are still allowed to go to the Maldives resort islands if available negative PCR test within 96 hours before entry, but do not have contact with local people. Previously, the Maldives has reopened tourist resorts from July 2020 after 3 months of closure against the epidemic. But the country has recorded a record high number of new infections per day (1,500 cases on May 11), while a month ago, this number was less than 100 cases / day.

Tourists to Maldives. (Source: PSM News) Located in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives has always been a popular destination and a major attraction for travelers looking for a quality vacation and leisure time. The Maldives is heavily dependent on the tourism industry as it is the main source of foreign currency earnings contributing to the national economy. However, the Covid-19 pandemic occurring around the world, resulting in travel restrictions, has had a significant impact, even a recession, on the country’s economy. On January 30, 2020, the Maldives recorded its first suspected case of corona virus. From the end of March to July 2020, this country was forced to close its borders to tourists, bringing the economy to a standstill. After stopping international flights for more than three months since the start of the pandemic, on July 15, 2020, the Maldives reopened its borders, being one of the first major global tourist destinations to open. back door for foreign visitors. The Maldives Ministry of Tourism has issued the Covid-19 Safe Travel Guide along with a certification program that ensures the safety and hygiene standards of all tourist facilities including accommodation, transportation, airport and other related facilities. Accordingly, the Maldives introduces a program called “Vaccination Tourism” that allows visitors to the country to travel without having to wait until the vaccine trial is completed. The Maldives also offers a distinctive ‘one-island-one-resort’ concept, allowing visitors to maintain social distancing while enjoying a truly safe and secluded stay. As a result, last year, the island nation welcomed 555,000 tourists to visit the Maldives and welcomed more than 400,000 tourists since the beginning of January this year. The Covid-19 vaccine program in the Maldives was started on March 1, with 200,000 doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca “Covishield” vaccine funded by the Indian government. To date, Maldives has also received 12,000 doses of Covishield vaccine through COVAX and 10,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China. With 36% of residents fully vaccinated, the Maldives is currently the fifth most immunized country. With an adequate supply of vaccines, the Maldives is also preparing to launch a “vaccine on arrival” program as soon as all of its population has been vaccinated. However, the nation of islands with a population of 340,000, is currently struggling with an increase in the number of Covid-19 infections, the number of infections increased to a record in a day of 1,500 cases on May 6 compared to May 6. with less than 100 cases just a month ago. White sand resorts and beaches, have been reported to be home to the fastest Covid-19 outbreaks in the world. The average number of new infections recorded in the Maldives every day has reached a new high. To date, there have been 87 deaths related to Covid-19 in the Maldives, including 74 locals, 11 foreign nationals. The Maldives government is forced to take strict measures to contain the current situation. As part of its efforts, the Maldives government has decided to suspend the issuance of tourist visas to visitors originating from South Asian countries, effective from May 13. The ban will also apply to travelers who stay more than 24 hours, have transited or have been to the listed countries within the previous 14 days. Restaurants and cafes are only allowed to open for delivery and takeout, and indoor dining is prohibited. From May 12, a partial curfew was in place in the capital Malé from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., for a week. Some other restrictions include moving government agencies’ activities to an online service, banning group prayer at mosques, and suspending students at universities from going to school. (according to Vietnam Embassy in Sri Lanka concurrently Maldives)

On Tuesday (May 11), the Maldives Ministry of Tourism announced: “The government decided to temporarily suspend the issuance of tourist visas to visitors from South Asian countries including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as those who have transited in these countries within the past 14 days.” The ban is in effect from May 13, 2021 until further notice. This move comes in the context of the Maldives government trying to control the number of Covid-19 infections that have been on the rise again in the last 2 weeks. Maldives recorded a record increase of 1572 cases in a day on Wednesday (May 12), compared with less than 100 cases in the previous month. Taking samples for Covid test in June 2020 in Maldives Maldives was one of the first countries to reopen to tourists in July last year. As soon as the Covid-19 wave broke out in India, the rich Indians and many Bollywood stars flew to the Maldives and showed off their check-in photos of 5-star beaches and resorts online, causing outrage. angry at home. In April this year, officials announced plans to vaccinate resort tourists, after all Maldivians were vaccinated. So far, about 25% of locals have been fully vaccinated, according to figures compiled by CNN. By May, the Maldivian authorities had introduced new restrictions. All new arrivals are required to present full documentation of a negative test done within 96 hours prior to arrival in the archipelago. New restrictions by the Maldivian government mean that India’s super-rich will look elsewhere to flee the epidemic. And Dubai is emerging as a top alternative destination, with bookings up 10% in recent weeks, said Rajan Mehra, CEO of Club One Air.

Nigeria will become the next big Covid-19 “outbreak” after India. (Source: Anadolu Agency/Getty) And experts are cautiously observing a developing country, with a large area, disparities in health services and unequal access to vaccines, like India, that is Nigeria. With 200 million people, it is the most populous country in West Africa and the 7th most populous country in the world. Ngozi Erondui, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House Center for Global Health Security in the UK, said that “Nigeria is really vulnerable” and “has a lot in common with India”. When rich countries are not willing to share The world will not be able to do anything to prevent Covid-19 from ravaging Nigeria like the situation is happening in the past days in India. A more equitable distribution of vaccines could build a “firewall” against the rise in infections in Nigeria, as well as in other less developed countries. However, that will require the more economically developed countries of the world to share rescue resources with poorer countries. The tragic case of India proves that the vaccine-rich country in the world will not be in a hurry to help poor countries on distant continents. In fact, Africa is not necessarily synonymous with “poverty”. The continent is huge and diverse, comprising 54 countries with 1.2 billion people running economies from large to small, rich to poor, strong to weak. Likewise, African countries’ pandemic experiences vary widely. South Africa, one of the wealthiest countries on the continent, was hit hard last summer and then returned in January. Officials in the region recorded more than 54,000 deaths. The mortality rate is 93 deaths per 100,000 population, a number far below the US 175 deaths per 100,000 population, but much higher than the global average of 38 deaths. per 100,000 inhabitants. So far, many less industrialized African countries have avoided catastrophic spikes in infections, recording fewer deaths than rich countries. A total of 580,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 while only 1,600 Nigerians have died from the pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 virus – “opportunistic” virus However, that doesn’t mean Covid-19 won’t reach Nigeria and other African countries, it just means it hasn’t arrived yet. Lawrence Gostin, a global health expert at Georgetown University, told T he Daily Beast : “I am seeing the possibility that the Covid-19 fires will ravage around the world in the weeks and months to come. And I’m most worried about Africa.” According to Mr. Gostin, “the crisis in India is a leading indicator of what is to come in other low- and middle-income countries”. Despite its crowded cities, limited public health measures and a patchwork health care system, India has so far been considered relatively fortunate. The South Asian country has 1.37 billion people but only 160,000 deaths so far in March, with a rate of 11 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. Then, in April, a new and more contagious variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, known as B.1.617, emerged and spread across India, causing a record increase in cases and deaths. green. In just a few weeks, India had nearly 50,000 more deaths. The death rate rose to 15 per 100,000 population. When this article was published, the Covid-19 wave in India was underway, but the trend was already decreasing. The rate of new cases and deaths is decreasing. And while it is predicted that tens of thousands of more Indians will die before this spike is over, at least the pandemic has not gotten any worse in the country. But the SARS-CoV-2 virus is an opportunistic virus. It always finds places that are densely populated but have no protection. Spreading through the air from person to person, Covid-19 establishes a “laboratory” in each body that the virus infects. Each SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates after two weeks of infection for as long as it is active, and seeks to evolve so that it can create a new variant that is increasingly contagious. New variants help the virus spread even faster in a self-reinforcing cycle that ends only with drastic social distancing, vaccinations and antibodies among survivors, or more likely a combination of the virus. all three methods to cut off the transmission route of Covid-19. It is no coincidence that SARS-CoV-2 thrived in India this month. Popular religious festivals have attracted thousands of people who attended without wearing masks. Meanwhile, India’s vaccination effort is very bad. According to statistics, the South Asian country has fully vaccinated only 3% of the population, compared with more than 30% in the US. The global average for full immunization is also a little over 3%. From the epidemiologist’s point of view, Nigeria, with its many overcrowded cities, high poverty rates and shabby health system, is quite similar to India, but worse in some respects. India has at least some domestic vaccine manufacturers, while Nigeria has none. The African country must import all doses of the vaccine from outside. That explains why Nigeria only partially immunizes 1% of the population and almost no one is fully vaccinated. The Lagos government is expected to receive 84 million doses of the vaccine from AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson in the coming weeks. But that number is only enough to inject a fifth of the country’s population. Meanwhile, the proportion that experts say could lead to “herd immunity” is vaccination of three-quarters of the population, which blocks most routes of transmission and can last up to year 2022. Shortage side, surplus side To help Nigeria and the underserved countries, the rich countries of the world should stop hoarding vaccines excessively. Of course, more shots are not a panacea, and even a country with many vaccines can have trouble administering. However, the vaccine shortage, and the hesitation among people who doubt the vaccine’s effectiveness, could further slow the vaccination process. Shaun Truelove, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that “the only way to know if Nigeria is managing vaccines well is to keep shipping the vaccine to the country”. Global supply is not the biggest problem. The United States, a country with many vaccine manufacturers, has a stockpile of more than 60 million doses of vaccine while continuing to have more vaccines supplied by factories, while vaccination rates are falling. especially for Republicans. It was only a few weeks after the sudden spike in Covid-19 in India that the administration of President Joe Biden promised to ship an additional number of vaccines to New Delhi. The AstraZeneca vaccine isn’t even authorized in the US. For Americans, those doses of vaccines are not only redundant but also useless. The problem of severe delays in the release of excess vaccines was anticipated a year ago. In the spring of 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) together with a number of international public-private partners, came together to establish the Global Access to Vaccines Covid-19 initiative, or COVAX. The COVAX initiative allows rich countries to pay for vaccines to poor countries. COVAX’s goal was to deliver 100 million doses by March, but it actually delivered less than 40 million doses. “This has failed Nigeria and many countries,” Mr. Erondu said [trong việc tiêm chủng]”. America is part of the problem. The Trump administration has refused to sign on to COVAX, a move that reflects its narrow “America First” philosophy. The Trump administration at the time either didn’t understand, or didn’t care, that vaccinating poor countries also helped protect rich countries. After all, the virus doesn’t care about borders. Mr. Biden reversed the decision in February. The administration has committed $4 billion in cash, making the US the largest donor of COVAX, albeit somewhat belatedly. In a parallel move, Mr. Biden also signaled support for a controversial proposal to give the WTO a copyright exemption for a Covid-19 vaccine. In theory, the decision would allow any manufacturer in any country to produce doses of the vaccine. However, experts are still divided on whether the patent waiver will lead to more doses of the vaccine being shipped to countries in need. Meanwhile, many richer countries have been slow to implement their COVAX commitments. Meanwhile, strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to target unprotected populations from one area to another. Nigeria is about to become the “storm center” of Covid-19. However, this West African country may not suffer the same fate as India. Because vaccines are available. Existing mechanisms will get the vaccine to the countries that need it most. It is worth mentioning that many countries have a surplus of vaccines but do not appreciate the importance of sharing vaccines with other countries. (According to Daily Beast)

Currently, visitors to the Maldives must provide a negative PCR test and proof of hotel reservations in order to gain entry. Maldives Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom recently said the Maldives’ Health Protection Agency is about to announce the lifting of entry restrictions for tourists who have completed their vaccinations. In addition, the country is preparing to deploy the 3V strategy “Visit, vaccinate, vacation” to attract and facilitate international tourists. Maldives is known as “paradise of relaxation”. Source: Getty Images However, the Maldives has not decided on the time of implementing this program. The government will first give priority to the people, to ensure that they are fully vaccinated with two doses of Covid-19 vaccine. When that process is completed, the country will be ready to vaccinate foreign visitors to visit and travel. So far, about 53% of the approximately 530,000 inhabitants of the island nation have received the first dose; this includes about 90% of frontline travel workers. It is not clear if tourists will have to pay for the vaccine, but the leader said vaccine supplies should not be an issue for the Maldives. The island nation receives vaccine funding from India, China and the World Health Organization’s Covax program; In addition, they also ordered more vaccines from Singapore. This year, the Maldives has welcomed 350,000 visitors, mainly visitors from neighboring country India. In addition, a large number of visitors come here under the “workation” model, with longer stays to work remotely. Minister Mausoom said that these long-stay guests will also receive two doses of vaccine. The 2021 target of the Maldives is to welcome 1.5 million visitors and 10 million room nights.

The new initiative aims to attract tourists to revitalize the Maldives economy, which largely depends on tourism. (Source: MTN) Maldives is an archipelagic country in South Asia, famous for its tropical climate and pristine waters, and depends heavily on tourism. About 67% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is sourced directly and indirectly from the tourism industry. Currently, visitors to the Maldives must provide a negative PCR test for Covid-19 and proof of hotel reservation in order to be admitted. Maldives Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom recently said that the Maldives Health Protection Agency is about to announce the lifting of the entry restrictions for tourists who have completed the vaccination. In addition, the country is preparing to implement the 3V strategy – “Visit, Vaccinate, Vacation” to attract and facilitate international tourists. However, the Maldives has not decided on the time of implementing this program. The government will give priority to the people first and foremost, ensuring that all are vaccinated with 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine. When that process is completed, the country will be ready to vaccinate foreign visitors to visit and travel. To date, 53% of the island nation’s approximately 530,000 residents have received the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, which includes 90% of frontline travel workers. It is not clear if tourists will have to pay for the vaccine, but the leader said vaccine supplies should not be an issue for the Maldives. The island nation receives vaccine funding from India, China and the World Health Organization (WHO) COVAX program; In addition, they also ordered more vaccines from Singapore. This year, the Maldives has welcomed 350,000 visitors, mainly visitors from neighboring country India. In addition, a large number of visitors come here under the “workation” model, with longer stays to work remotely. Minister Mausoom said these long-stay guests will also receive two doses of the vaccine. The target for the whole year 2021 of the Maldives is to welcome 1.5 million visitors and 10 million hotel nights. (according to VOV / CNBC)

Patient COVID-19 was treated in an isolation ward in New Delhi, India on May 8, 2021. Photo: THX / TTXVN Half a month ago, when the COVID-19 crisis shook India, the Regional Director of South Asia at the International Association of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Udaya Regmi warned the rate of infection. The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the region is “really frightening”, possibly making South Asia “the new epicenter of the next US pandemic”. In the past two weeks, according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, the number of new infections in this region has been higher than the total number of cases in the first six months of the pandemic combined – an explosion that has stunned at South Asia. Along with India, the number of new infections is increasing alarmingly across South Asia, especially in Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Charities fear South Asia is approaching “disaster”. Experts say that the epidemic situation in South Asia has become more serious recently, mainly due to the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, especially the double mutation in India. Over the past week, Nepal has seen a number of new cases of more or less 9,000 cases / day, while this number during March was only a few dozen cases. The number of reported infections in Nepal is 57 times more now than in April 2021. The rate of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection per 100,000 population per day increased more than 7 times in just two weeks. In Sri Lanka, since the beginning of May alone, more than 18,000 new infections have been recorded. If on April 27, for the first time, the number of cases per day in this country reached 4 digits, then on May 10, the South Asian country witnessed the highest number of cases ever, 2672 cases. Pakistan in February averaged 1,100 cases per day, now this number has increased 5 times. Maldives on 11/5 recorded 1,204 cases, while a week ago the average daily number was about 600 cases. The rapid infection rate in all South Asian countries makes experts warn a new global epidemic wave is emerging that South Asia is the epicenter. Dr. Ashish Jha, Rector of Brown University of Public Health (USA) commented: “Here’s the bottom line: When there are big outbreaks, those variations will arise… India is a large country. “People and at large, when there are big outbreaks there, we will have to worry about new variants that are more harmful to the people of this country and of course they will spread around the world.” India first discovered variant B.1.617 in October 2020 and WHO classified it as a “variant of concern” at a global level due to its more contagious nature and higher mortality. as well as being resistant to many current vaccines and treatments. According to reports, this variant has appeared in at least 17 countries. Explaining the cause of the current devastating COVID-19 “tsunami” in South Asia, experts say that the region is inherently densely populated, with a large number of poor living together in the Narrow spaces in the slums of the city or rural areas turn this into “fertile ground” for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to rage. Currently more than 35% of the about 800 million poor people worldwide are struggling with the pandemic living in South Asia. People wait in line for the COVID-19 vaccine to be vaccinated in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. Photo: THX / TTXVN As one of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal was hit by a pandemic while still sinking in serious crises after the 2015 earthquake disaster. Currently, 44% of health care facilities here are damaged after The earthquake has not yet been reconstructed, more than 70% of the population has to earn a living by informal jobs so they do not have access to the social safety net. Since 2015, an additional 700,000 Nepalese have fallen into the poverty line. High density of the population, the proportion of people who are malnourished and have no income are factors that increase the risk of COVID-19 more easily and make medical care almost impossible. Although Nepal has increased its border controls and imposed blockades in heavily affected areas, including the capital, Kathmandu, experts fear that is not enough to keep the virus from spreading. As fast as a wind from the Kathmandu valley to the foot of Mount Everest. Meanwhile, the Maldives archipelago has an economy dependent on tourism, so it reopened the border to international tourists since July 2020 after 3 months of blockade, becoming the first country to celebrate. welcome foreign tourists in the midst of a pandemic still raging around the world. Until India’s other neighbors have begun to close their borders and impose a travel ban, resorts in the Maldives still welcome Bollywood stars and Indian citizens who want to visit the island nation. avoid the domestic epidemic crisis. As a result, early May, the Center for Medical Emergencies (HEOC) Maldives said hospital admissions had tripled in just a few days and that a new variant of the virus could have entered the island nation. In Sri Lanka, in the early days of May, the number of new infections in the day quickly exceeded the peak of the first wave in February. Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi admitted this was the result of mass gatherings in New Year’s Eve (April 13-14), when many people go to the streets to celebrate and go shopping. In Pakistan, schools and restaurants have been closed, shops have shortened hours of operation and troops have been deployed in response to the epidemic. But every night, groups of devout Muslims flock to temples across the country to pray, though Pakistani authorities have tightened restrictions on and banned travel during Eid al- Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Pakistan has recorded more than 861,000 cases and nearly 19,000 deaths, but the testing system in the country is very limited while the health care infrastructure is sagging, prompting experts to warn of epidemics. much worse. Home to half of the world’s poor, South Asian countries lack adequate public health facilities and are increasingly scarce in the medical supplies needed during a pandemic outbreak today. The countries in the region depend on India, the largest country in South Asia, for medical equipment and especially vaccines. However, India is also facing a serious shortage of both anti-epidemic products. The current very low vaccination rates in South Asia are one of the reasons the virus spreads “out of control”. According to UNICEF data, in most countries in the region, less than one tenth of the population is vaccinated. About 1.7 million out of nearly 30 million Nepalese people have just received the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Among them, 380 thousand people received the second shot. It is also worrying that investment in public health in most countries remains modest. According to World Bank (WB) data, in 2017, Sri Lanka invested about 2% of GDP in public health, Bangladesh at 2.27% of GDP, the figure in Pakistan was 2.9% and 3 , 19% are in Bhutan, while the US is 17.06%, Austria is 10.4%, and Brazil 9.47%. Due to limited investment in health, most South Asian countries are “ragged” in the pandemic. For example, Nepal has about 1,600 hospital beds with active treatment and less than 600 ventilators, on average 0.7 doctors will care for 100,000 people. Sri Lanka, at a rate of 3.6 hospital beds for every 1,000 people and 1,200 people with only 1 doctor, quickly fell into overcrowding due to the pandemic. Cremation of patients dying from COVID-19 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: THX / TTXVN Moreover, since South Asia is one of the two regions with the highest poverty rates in the world (along with the southern Sahara), experts warn the consequences of this outbreak for South Asia will be. very cruel. According to the World Bank, COVID-19, which has been raging for more than a year, can push an additional 115 million people deep into poverty and most of the “new poor class” will be concentrated in South Asia. It can be said that the “terrible storm” COVID-19 that swept through India has also swept into other poor countries of South Asia. Dr. Netra Prasad Timsina, of the Red Cross of Nepal, warned “what is happening in India right now is the terrible future of South Asian countries” if we do not take drastic action. IFRC Asia Pacific Director Alexander Matheou also affirmed, “We need to act now, quickly to have hope of preventing this disaster,” because the virus “does not distinguish borders and strains are spreading throughout Asia “. South Asia is the region that accounts for 25% of the world’s population and whether the region can overcome the COVID-19 crisis will determine the “success or failure” of the fight against the global pandemic.

Princess Raya in the movie. “Raya and the last dragon god”, the film currently in theaters attracting a large audience of children recently by Hollywood is the latest work honoring Southeast Asian culture in a fascinating fantasy story about dragons. The story of the movie revolves around little Raya, the princess of the kingdom of Kumandra, consisting of many different small lands that represent parts of the dragon’s body. Kumandra Kingdom was built in the shape of an Asian dragon, not a dragon with flaming wings like a European dragon, inspired by the Mekong River flowing through many Southeast Asian countries. Long Tam land with mountains on the sea, like Ha Long Bay. Raya, from a young age, had to witness the various tribes of Long Tam, Long Trao, Long Vi, Long Cot, and Long Nanh split up and scrambling for dragon ball, causing the seal to imprison Druun, the evil demon that transformed people and The rocky landscape escapes and ravages the kingdom of Kumandra. Raya’s father, the king of the Long Tam tribe, also suffered the same petrification as his people to protect his little daughter. Before pushing Raya down the river flowing through the five lands, he also reminded her to find the dragon god to save the kingdom and bring the five tribes back together. Raya grew up, trained herself, and one day, she travels to each land to find the broken dragon ball fragments that had been lost by the tribes before. She met the surviving members of the Long Trao, the Long Coths and the Long Tails after being overrun by the Druun demons. In particular, when going to the end of the Kumandra kingdom, Raya met Sisu, the last dragon of the god. But Sisu is the youngest, weakest dragon, and doesn’t seem to have any talent at all. Raya’s journey with companions of all ages ends at Long Nanh, where she comes face to face with her old friend, who used her trust to take the Dragon Ball, and is The main cause of the seal broke and allowing the Druun demons to escape. By capturing the human affection learned from Sisu, Raya made her friend understand the true value of solidarity, join the army to fight the Druun, protect and revive the kingdom of Kumandra. The film’s story is simple, the situation is easy to predict, many funny and humorous scenes, but there are also many emotional scenes and deeply philosophical about life, “Raya and the last god dragon” bring joy. Look, refreshing for viewers and especially the children who really like the funny and funny appearances and responses of the dragon “whistle” Sisu. Dragon god takes the form of a snake god Naga. However, overcoming a seemingly simple story is an entire Southeast Asian culture that filmmakers skillfully integrate. Kumandra represents the land around the Mekong River, home to the countries of East – South Asia. Long Tam represents wet rice civilization, rich riverine plains and an image reminiscent of Ha Long Bay. Long Cot with giant bamboo forest, reminiscent of bamboo groves of Vietnam, Long Trao with floating markets, rivers and harbors, night market, lantern festival and colorful lantern stalls . Long Nanh with curved roof houses and castles inspired by the Angkor Watt temple complex. Long Vi is a barren sandy land and barren mountains. The dishes and fruits of Southeast Asia in the movie. Southeast Asian culture is meticulously and subtly from small details. Dragon god Sisu is inspired by snake god Naga, the mascot of many peoples of East – South Asia. The move of raising hands to the top of the circle to greet and thank the people of Kumandra is reminiscent of Thailand and Laos clasping hands. The martial arts performances in the film are built from Pencak silas, muay Thai and Vovinam, typical martial arts of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Many dishes, typical fruits of the tropical Southeast – Southeast Asia are also shown in the film, such as durian, dragon fruit, tangerine … Another appears in the movie. Tomyum, sticky rice on leaves, spring rolls, and banana leaf baked goods also appear in the movie. The pangolin, pet and also the moving carriage of Princess Raya is named Tuk Tuk – a popular vehicle in Thailand … Raya’s pangolin, pet and mount. In addition, the film also has the participation of a team of artists and writers of Vietnamese origin. The voice of Raya’s character is Kelly Marie Tran, born in 1989 in San Diego (USA), to Vietnamese parents. Thalia Tran, another 15-year-old Vietnamese actress, voiced Little Noi, a 2-year-old girl who lost her family while fleeing the Druun demons, leading a gang of petty monkeys. small mix. Patti Harrison, 30, voices Tail Chief, who also lost his family in the escape of the Druun demons, living alone on a large boat, both the captain and the chef serving the guests. river excursion. The writer of the film is Qui Nguyen, who has participated in many Hollywood film projects. He is also the one who put interesting details of Southeast Asian culture, especially Vietnamese culture, into the film. “Raya and the last dragon god” is the film Hollywood wants to set a miracle in the East – South Asian market when it is released. But more than heating up the box office after the raging Covid-19 in many places caused entertainment activities to stall, “Raya and the last dragon” opened an intriguing door for the world to understand. more about East-South Asia rich in identity and legend.

Visiting Cau Dat Farm Ancient Tea Museum (Da Lat City, Lam Dong). More than 20 km from the center of Da Lat City (Lam Dong), located at an altitude of 1,650 m above sea level, on the foundation of the ancient tea factory of East – South Asia, the Cau Dat Farm Ancient Tea Museum is not Interesting installation art space associated with the story of Cau Dat tea brand that is nearly 100 years old. As a famous tea area of ​​Lam Dong province, Cau Dat is located at an ideal height with a cool climate all year round, fog cover, where there are immense green tea hills with lush tea buds. In 1927, the French built the first tea factory in East-South Asia, named the Cau Dat Tea Department and brought tea processing technology here. Later, the factory was converted to its use purpose, renamed Cau Dat Farm. The entire factory area, equipment, machines, tools and tea making machines of nearly 100 years old and original tea-making artifacts … are preserved to serve the idea of ​​building the first tea museum in Vietnam. After more than three years of incubation, in early 2021, Cau Dat Farm Ancient Tea Museum officially came into operation with the desire to preserve a part of the history of Cau Dat Tea Hill, and at the same time reappeared all the ups and downs. as well as the experience of making tea over the past 100 years of the people here. The highlight of the museum is the installation art using space, sound and light, making the museum a work of art, creating effects for visitors. Visiting the museum, visitors learn about tea trees through six separate spaces, each with a tea tree related content. The Quintessence Room is 1,650 m, recreating Cau Dat tea hill all year round hidden in the mist, all the ups and downs of history, 100 years of tea making experience of the people here through nine large-sized videos. projected on a wall space. Viewers will enter a room filled with images and sounds of nature and people of Cau Dat at an altitude of 1,650 m. The Historical Box holds tea-making artifacts with a long history of the ancient tea factory, dust-coated machines such as tea drying machines, crushers, tea system heat pipes, fan systems. Ventilation, integrated screening machine, micro-scale … The interesting point in the museum space is room 3 with the name of a 2-leaf shrimp, including art installations combining light and large-scale tea cubes. loud, auditory and tactile. More than 100 tea cubes are made up of 350 kg of green tea, black tea and oolong tea divided into three separate areas, with thousands of glittering rain yarns connecting the series of floating clouds lights to create a warm light, vaguely and fanciful, depicting the rolling hills and clouds of Cau Dat. On the horizontal wall of the museum, there are seven paintings simulating the tea making process at Cau Dat that are reproduced in a simple and pure visual language. A special feature is that the main materials used for this series of paintings, from acid dyes to paint colors, are all taken from the soil of the tea hills and Cau Dat tea leaves. Each picture is covered by hundreds of fish paper, a special paper made from rice that the people of the central fishing village use to preserve the fish after pulling the fishing net. Room 4 tells the story of tea makers with tools that were attached to tea making in the past. Artists have used wooden doors in old tea warehouses, thereby telling the story of Cau Dat Farm tea making through generations. Room 5 Overlooking the world of tea, visitors will experience the diverse tea cultures around the world, learn more about the journey of fresh tea leaves from harvest to finished product. Room 6 is the viewing space at Cau Dat Farm. Visitors experience cups of green tea, black tea and oolong tea made by the hand of an artisan, where tea growers and brewers perceive tea with the senses. Bringing art to create a lively space through movies, documents, images, artifacts, Farm Dat Farm Ancient Tea Museum has recreated the history, people, tea processing process as well as products. branded products Cau Dat tea. Not only an interesting destination for visitors to visit and experience, learn about the history of development, tea making techniques, tea cultivation, the museum is contributing to preserving, displaying and preserving historical values. of Cau Dat tea hill. NGOC LIEN

Passenger at Changi International Airport, Singapore, on March 15, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA According to the Vietnam News Agency reporter in Singapore, in addition to the above regulations, those who have recently come to India and have not completed the 14-day quarantine period to 23:59 p.m. on April 22 will have to undergo concentrated isolation for another 7 days. These individuals will have to undergo 3 PCR tests: on arrival, on the 14th day and before the end of the quarantine period. In recent days, India has continuously recorded the highest number of new infections and daily deaths ever. In the past 24 hours, the South Asian country recorded 332,503 cases and 2,256 deaths. These are the number of new infections and deaths caused by COVID-19 in a day at levels not seen since the outbreak of the pandemic. According to worldometers.info, as of the morning of April 23 (Vietnam time), India had a total of 16.2 million cases, of which 186,928 died. In addition, the Singapore Ministry of Health (MOH) on April 22 announced that 17 workers at the Westlite Woodlands dormitory were found to be re-infected, although there is no evidence that these cases are related. epidemic in India or with a new strain of virus appearing there. Therefore, preventive measures for COVID-19 will be tightened for migrant workers to minimize the risk of re-infection in those who have recovered from the disease. Accordingly, all new migrant workers from higher-risk countries and regions will be placed on quarantine for 14 days at quarantine facilities. After they test negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, they will be sent to the Migrant Labor Referral Center (MWOC). In the past, these workers had to stay on quarantine for only 4 days at the quarantine facilities before being sent to MWOC during their remaining quarantine period. As for the newly arrived migrant workers whose test results have antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, they will have to undergo a bi-weekly screening regime. Previously, they were exempt from this requirement. As of April 29, recovered workers living in dormitories or those working in the construction, marine and processing industries living in Singapore will have to undergo periodic inspections. about 9 months, or 270 days, from the date they get COVID-19.

Health experts say India was caught off guard when the pandemic appeared to be under control this winter – Photo: Reuters On April 22, India recorded 314,835 new Covid-19 infections, the highest number in a day in the world since the outbreak of the pandemic. Days after this information, Canada and Singapore simultaneously decided to stop flights and people entering from the South Asian country. According to Reuters, the Singapore Ministry of Health on April 22 said it would stop accepting admissions – with both short and long-term visas – with a history of moving to India in recent times. Singapore is investigating Covid-19 infections and reinfection cases at a migrant workers’ dormitory and is quarantining more than 1,100 people at the facility. To date, 17 workers here have re-positive for the virus. The Singapore government said the measures to restrict travel with India will help it prevent the risk of infection in migrant labor hostels because there are many people from India. Indian workers at Singapore Changi Airport prepare to board a plane home on June 12, 2002 – Photo: Reuters Also on April 22, Canada announced a ban on direct flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days from 23:30 on the same day to prevent the spread of new Covid-19 variants. Several Canadian provinces have reported cases of new Covid-19 variant from India. Health Canada Minister Patty Hajdu said India currently accounts for 20% of recent air traffic to Canada, but more than 50% of positive tests are detected upon entry. This creates a great risk of infection. Earlier this week, the UK also put India on the “red list”, effective April 23, which banned all flights from the South Asian country, after it recorded 103 cases of infection with a new variant. first discovered in India. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then advised Americans to “avoid all travel to India”. On Sunday, Hong Kong (China) announced a 14-day ban on passenger flights from India starting April 20. New Zealand also suspended entry for tourists from India earlier this month out of concern about new Covid-19 variants in the billion-pop country. Since the beginning of the pandemic up to now, the total number of Covid infections in India is 15.93 million. The number of deaths recorded on April 22 was 2,104, bringing the total number of deaths from the beginning of the epidemic to 184,657, according to official statistics. India has been caught off guard as the pandemic seems to be under control this winter, health experts say. At that time, the number of new infections a day was only about 10,000 cases and authorities began to relax restrictions, allowing large crowds. According to experts, some new strains of corona virus, especially the double mutation originating from India, are the main cause of the number of new infections in the country soaring.

Facebook logo at headquarters in Menlo Park, California, USA. Photo: AFP / VNA According to a joint statement by Facebook and CleanMax, the 32 MW wind power plant will be located in the state of Karnataka in southern India, as part of a larger project on wind and solar power that the two companies are working with. to provide renewable energy to the Indian power grid. CleanMax will own and operate the above projects, while Facebook will buy electricity from the Indian grid. Facebook’s head of renewable energy, Urvi Parekh, said the tech company usually does not own the power plants, instead signing a “long term” power purchase agreement with the renewable energy company. According to her, this will help projects find the necessary capital. India is currently Facebook’s largest market in terms of users. Meanwhile, in Singapore, Facebook has also announced similar partnership arrangements with energy suppliers such as Sunseap Group, Terrenus Energy and Sembcorp Industries, which can generate 160 MW of solar power. Power from these plants will be supplied to Facebook’s first data center in Asia and located in Singapore, the facility expected to come online next year. Last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said data centers were causing technology companies like Facebook to consume about 1% of all global electricity. Tech companies like Amazon, Alphabet Inc and Microsoft have pledged to move towards zero carbon emissions and achieve zero net emissions, amid demand for digital data and services. ants will increase steadily. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on April 15 announced that the company’s global operations are now run entirely on renewable energy and have reached zero net emissions.

As expected, today (April 14), the administration of President Joe Biden will announce plans to withdraw all US forces stationed in Afghanistan in stages and end before September 11, full 20 years. after the horrible terror that started the war in Afghanistan.

Accordingly, thousands of US troops will continue to be stationed in Afghanistan after May 1, the deadline that former President Donald Trump’s administration has agreed with the Taliban. There are now 2,500 US troops stationed in Afghanistan, though the difference in fact could be as high as 1,000. The coalition in Afghanistan also has the presence of more than 7,000 troops, mainly NATO troops.

The administration of President Joe Biden is expected to announce plans to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan before 9/11/2021. (Source: EPA)

The above decision was made in the context of the unsuccessful peace negotiations. An unnamed US official revealed that the announcement of the plan was necessary because if the US did not make a clear roadmap of the May 1 deadline, Washington would have to fight the Taliban again.

For Joe Biden, this clearly does not serve the national interest of the US administration.

However, while withdrawing troops from Afghanistan will help the Americans end their presence in Afghanistan after two decades and help Mr. Biden score in the eyes of voters, it could also be a step backwards to Joe Biden’s foreign affairs.

first, this decision will go against what Mr. Joe Biden committed before becoming President. He once thought that Washington needed to maintain an anti-terrorist force in Afghanistan to ensure that Islamic extremist groups like Al-Qaeda would not be able to attack the United States.

However, his views changed after only two months in office. On March 17, interviewed by radio station ABC News, President Biden admitted having “difficulty” in withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan before May 1 under the agreement of his predecessor.

Now, the plan to withdraw troops is becoming clear, but the promise of anti-terrorist forces in the South Asian country has yet to be fulfilled.

Monday, the withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan leaves a great void for the Islamic extremist forces.

Speaking before the National Security Committee of the Afghan Parliament, National Intelligence Director Ahmad Zia Saraj said the number of Taliban attacks had increased by 24% since the peace agreement with the United States in February 2020. , with a total of 20,600 targeted attacks and bombings of all kinds.

According to him, this figure shows that the Taliban are not showing any change in Turkish ideology and the upcoming peace conference in Turkey may not yield any results.

Tuesday, the civil administration proved ineffective in ensuring security and political stability for development. On April 12, Afghanistan recorded 122 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number to 57,364 cases.

However, it should be remembered that the Covid-19 testing procedure in this country is limited and the actual number of cases may be much higher, while the health system is gradually overloading.

According to the World Bank, Afghanistan’s economy declines by 1.9% in 2020. Food prices increase rapidly because Covid-19, sometimes up to 17% in April 2020 alone, while tax revenue decreased by 7 , 6%.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s economic growth in 2021 is expected to reach 1%, but only possible if foreign aid and security are secured, two factors increasingly uncertain with Kabul’s governance capabilities. and after the withdrawal of US President Joe Biden’s administration.

Because of that, Washington may end its presence in the South Asian country after two decades and help Biden score points with voters, but the price will be political stability and security of Afghanistan.