Shoppers lined up outside a supermarket in Binh Thanh district, HCM City, on July 14 (Photo: VNA)
HCMCity (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities officially refutedrumours on July 14 that a complete citywide lockdown would be imposed.
Therumours spread on social media, along with calls for local residents to startstockpiling food and supplies. Food scarcity and shortages were also rumouredto be imminent as well as complete ban on shopping starting July 15,2021. Several posts also alleged that city leaders had contracted COVID-19.
Therumours drove many to rush to supermarkets and convenience stores to buysupplies, making it difficult to enforce anti-pandemic measures, includingkeeping two meters apart.
Themunicipal Party Committee’s Board for Information and Education said the cityis implementing the Government’s Directive 16, which requires it to imposestringent social distancing measures, however the rumours were false.
Thecommission asked local residents to stay calm and check for updates on theoutbreak from official, credible news sources. It reminded residents not tospread fake news.
Thecity’s authorities will work to strictly handle those who spread falseinformation, causing confusion among the community, it said.
Theyalso assured residents that they were making every effort to control andprevent the further spread of the pandemic while also ensuring public securityand the supply of food and essential goods to the people.
HCMCity is now the biggest hotspot of COVID-19 in the country with more than18,000 local cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit Vietnam in late April.
Over1,000 cases a day have been recorded for the last several days./.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s current biggest COVID-19 outbreak hot spot, is on the right track in pandemic prevention and control after two days of social distancing imposed in the entire city.
The Government will give priority to Ho Chi Minh City in allocating COVID-19 vaccines amid a strong surge in infection cases in the city, giving it 25 percent of the total vaccine doses received, according to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh power companies of the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVN HCMC) have completed power supply to new COVID-19 treatment hospitals set up in the two districts.
Ho Chi Minh City's Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has decided to put into operation a 1,000 resuscitation centre amid increasingly complicated developments of the epidemic in the southern hub.
Vietnam detected 909 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 12 hours to 6am on July 14, raising the national count to 35,409, according to the Ministry of Health.
Vietnam has over 4.8 million people exposed to AO/dioxin, including hundreds of thousands in the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many live with severe disabilities, facing high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that amnesty is a humanitarian policy of the Party and State, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and winning attention and high praise both domestically and internationally.
Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
Vietnam ranked among the top four countries and territories at the 2025 International Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), reaffirming its strong position in international academic competitions.
All 20 crew members aboard the Vietnamese oil tanker GT Unity were successfully rescued from a fire in the vessel’s engine room, thanks to the swift response of the Liberian-flagged ship Androusa and Vietnamese maritime rescue teams.
Describing Agent Orange as one of the most severe and enduring legacies of the war in Vietnam, Vietnam's former Honorary Consul to Belgium Joseph-Michel de Grand Ry warned that its impact – still affecting generations more than five decades later – could last another two to three decades.
Running from August 4 to September 2, under the hashtag #TuHaoVietNam, the campaign invites participants in two categories: “I Love My Country” video clips and “I Love My Country” check-in photos.
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, which took effect on the issuance date, introduces amendments that integrate the procedure for reporting and explaining the demand for foreign workers into the process of submitting applications for work permits.
With a tight 13-month deadline, the move is under a strategic and urgent policy to bridge educational gaps, train the local workforce, and shore up territorial sovereignty in some of the country’s most remote areas.
The parade and personnel send-off ceremony will officially take place on August 10 at the area surrounding the Statue of King Ly Thai To and Dinh Tien Hoang street of Hoan Kiem ward, with the participation of nearly 3,000 officers, soldiers, and local residents.
According to national technical regulations, AIS installation is mandatory for boats carrying more than 50 passengers. However, operators of smaller vessels (under 50 seats) in Ha Long Bay have voluntarily committed to completing installation by the deadline to enhance operational safety.
The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
Specifically, the ships will carry out patrols from 7am to 6pm daily along the main tourist routes in Ha Long Bay, with one ship permanently stationed at Ti Top island. From 6pm to 7am the following day, the mobile vessels return to Tuan Chau island to maintain a 24/7 on-call duty shift, ensuring constant readiness.
The Ministry of Construction (MoC) plans to open to traffic 208km of expressways of six key projects by August 19, bringing the country’s total expressway network to 2,476km.
As of July 1, a two-tier local government model started in 34 provinces and cities, streamlining administration but creating a surplus of public properties. If not promptly addressed, these assets could become a financial burden.
Whether they grow up to become journalists, diplomats, or professionals in other fields, these children can one day become bridges of friendship and cooperation, telling new and inspiring stories of Vietnam – China relations, said Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.
A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
Shoppers lined up outside a supermarket in Binh Thanh district, HCM City, on July 14 (Photo: VNA) 
