Hi Rev. Spooner,

When I left Vietnam in late February of 2000, I never thought I would be away until now, but the country's borders are still closed. Foreigners who were already there were allowed to stay, but just over a month ago, they kicked most of them out. This makes no sense.

Nearly all of East Asia is still closed, incredibly. I'm half scheming of getting back in that direction, but until I'm in a room at my new destination, I won't believe it. It's maddening to travel right now.


Linh

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The beer of choice for steelworkers in "The Deer Hunter".

Something weird though about the "33" on the bottle. Top Masonic number. "33" also appears in "Full Metal Jacket" on billboards, in a Saigon scene, for a Vietnamese beer.

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Hi klcard,

I still think I can make it back to Vung Tau soon, and hopefully without having to go through two weeks of mandatory quarantine at an army camp, though that would certainlly provide material for an article.

Since you're in Vung Tau, you should head down to Luca for some seriously good Italian food. I talked to the young chef before I left. Having just arrived, he appeared bewildered. I thought I would take him to Belly's, but never got a chance to.


Linh




Linh

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Prime Minister: Vietnam has entered a 'new normal' state

Speaking at the 73rd Session of the World Health Organization (WHO) General Assembly online for the first time in its history, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam had entered the state of “new normal” after managing the COVID-19 successfully so far, and the country is now focused on recovery and economic development, He noted that Viet Nam fights “against epidemics like fighting against the enemy" and that means mobilizing the participation of authorities at all levels, the national health system, scientists, military forces, and practicing centralized isolation and combining source control, contact tracing, testing and treatment. Vietnamese chose to accept "sacrificing short-term economic interests to protect the health and safety of the people," the PM said, adding that the government’s anti-epidemic policies and measures have been supported by the public. To date, among Viet Nam’s nearly 100 million people, the population has experienced just over 320 infections and no deaths. Today is the 33rd day in Viet Nam to record no new cases in the community. [MORE]

A detailed breakdown of the COVID-19 response measures as of Thursday morning, 21 May 2020, is at this link. It can be toggled in English or Vietnamese.

Vietnam goes all out to try and save British Covid-19 patient

VNExpress reports that Viet Nam’s heroic efforts to save the life of a British airline pilot have cost about VND 5 billion ($214,000 USD) over the past two months. The critically ill patient claims to have no relatives. The 43-year-old pilot, who works for Vietnam Airlines, was taken to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City in March after testing positive for COVID-19. He was lucid then, and told doctors that he had no relatives. The health ministry decided this week that a lung transplant was the only way to try and save the patient. The estimated cost of a lung transplant is about VND1.5-2 billion ($65,000 to 86,000), and this is addition to the VND4-5 billion ($171,000-215,000) already spent on him. The ministry has assigned the Medical Services Administration to look into legal regulations and seek funding for lung transplants. So far, 60 people have volunteered as lung donors to save the British pilot, according to the National Coordination Center for Organ Transplantation. "We are touched by their good intentions, but current regulations don't allow us to transplant lungs donated by most living people," a representative of the center said. [MORE]

Vietnam ranks second globally for satisfaction with the government’s response to the COVID-19

Vietnam ranks second globally and first among Southeast Asian countries in its people’s satisfaction with the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study of over 23 countries and territories by Singapore-based social research agency Blackbox Research and Toluna Company. Up to 94 percent of Vietnamese people felt that keeping the public informed on the pandemic with accurate information had worked in their favour in managing the disease, contributing to the country’s excellent performance in the fight against COVID-19, according to the study as reported in Vietnam Insider. David Black, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blackbox Research, said Vietnam’s impressive score reflects the country’s swift and strict measures to clamp down on the spread of the virus, as well as its regular and transparent communication with the public on ongoing case investigations. “Vietnam’s effectiveness in curbing the spread of the virus so far has led to a heightened level of trust and confidence of citizens in their leaders, especially when we compare the country with some of its Southeast Asian neighbours who have at times struggled with testing, contact tracing and dealing with new clusters of cases,” said Black.[MORE]

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Really now?

I don't think Vietnam should be a retirement home for western boomers.

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MIC? What does this stand for?

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