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Vietnam records 100 domestic coronavirus cases in a single day

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Eighty-four patients were registered in Hai Duong, 13 in northern Quang Ninh province, one in northern Hai Phong city, one in northern Bac Giang province, and one in Hanoi.

This is the largest daily increase in local coronavirus infections recorded since the pathogen first appeared in Vietnam on January 23, 2020.

The Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed seven imported cases, all of which had been quarantined upon arrival by plane from abroad.

Health officials have urged rapid contact tracing to quell the new wave, while warning of far worse scenarios.

But they are still not sure about the primary source of the new local infections, although at least 82 of the locally infected patients in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh have already been linked to two cases - patients No. 1,552 and 1,553.

Patient No. 1,552 is a 34-year-old Vietnamese woman who works for Vietnam Poyun Electronics Co. Ltd. in Hai Duong, the Ministry of Health said in a report.

She had been in contact with a woman who had left Vietnam for Japan on January 17. This woman had tested negative for the virus on January 14 and 15 before leaving Vietnam.

The woman tested positive again Tuesday in Japan for the new, 70 percent transmissible variant that has recently been rampant in the United Kingdom.

Patient 1,552 was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday evening.

Patient #1,553 is a 31-year-old Vietnamese security guard at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh.

He had a fever, dry cough and sore throat, so he went to the hospital for examination.

The man was tested for the novel coronavirus at the Quang Ninh Center for Disease Control on Wednesday night and the result was positive.

Vietnam has documented 1,658 coronavirus patients as of Thursday evening, with 1,430 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths, according to a Tuoi Tre News listing.

The country had not detected local transmission for nearly two months before the new clusters were uncovered.

Moc Chau Plum

Moc Chau - Immerse yourself in a dream of flowers

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In the section below, you will find a two-day itinerary for Moc Chau, one of the most popular tourist attractions in northern Vietnam.

Day 1: Moc Chau farm town - Pa Phach village grass fields

If you reach Moc Chau Farm Town around noon, check in, refuel with a hearty homestay lunch and begin your journey.

A must-see is the ethnic village of Pa Phach, located on a plateau on Highway 6, about five kilometers from the village intersection.

Here, enjoy the endless rows of flowers stretching to the horizon and the fresh air. As the saying goes, the harder the climb, the more beautiful the view, the path leading up to Pa Phach is quite exciting with sharp turns and steep slopes.

At this time of year, the cauliflower and plum blossoms begin to fill the fields in Pa Phach. Walk along the small off-road paths and admire the peaceful sea of white blossoms.

In Pa Phach there is a mountain called "the secret mountain top of Moc Chau", an ideal place to watch the sunset. Ask locals for directions to its top, as it is not on Google Maps.

On the way from Pa Phach to the city, you will pass many wide and green pastures, which are perfect for a photo backdrop or a picturesque stopover.

Day 2: Tea Plantation - Heart Tea Hill - Na Ka Plum Valley

Start your morning with a trip to one of the green tea farms scattered across the Moc Chau Plateau.

This is a lesser known destination that most travelers miss. Instead, most vacationers visit the famous heart-shaped tea hill.

Unlike tourist sites such as Ban Ang Pine Forest, Dai Yem Waterfall, and the "Glass Bridge of Love" that charge admission, a plantation tour is completely free.

At the end of your exploration, stop by the café at the entrance to enjoy a high-quality tea and buy local souvenirs such as dried plums, teas like O Long, and Indian prickly pear seeds.Plum Fower

Na Ka Valley is located on the way to Tan Lap commune, about seven kilometers from Heart Tea Hill. Na Ka is one of the most breathtaking plum valleys of Moc Chau. The road leading here is particularly convenient and can be used by car and motorcycle.

Mu Mau Plum Valley is another attraction of Moc Chau. Currently, this valley is also teeming with plum blossoms. It is located deep in the forest and is not accessible by car.

To get here, you need to hire a local motorcycle cab to drive you around. The total cost is VND 140,000 ($6), including VND 120,000 for the motorcycle cab and VND 20,000 for the entrance fee.

If you are pressed for time, Na Ka Valley is preferable to Mu Mau for plum blossom. The entrance fee to the garden is also 20,000 VND.

Normally, plum blossoms begin to bloom around late January to early February to welcome spring, but this year they began blooming in mid-December.

Neben der Besichtigung und dem Fotografieren der Pflaumengärten wird den Besuchern der Genuss von frisch gepflückten Früchten wie Orangen und Mandarinen zusammen mit schwarzem Klebreisjoghurt empfohlen.

The valley is like a garden of paradise when in bloom. Photo: stellamocchau

Just one kilometer from Plum Valley are extensive orange and tangerine gardens. Admission to the gardens costs 20,000 VND about 80 cents.

Directions

The route from Hanoi to Moc Chau is not too challenging for beginner backpackers, although some parts are shrouded in fog at this time of year. National Highway 6, which connects Hoa Binh province with Moc Chau district, is particularly gray and foggy.

Be careful when driving over Thung Khe Pass into Van Ho District. It is better to avoid driving in the early morning or late evening when the mists of smog are the strongest.

Depending on the route and vehicle, the travel time from Hanoi to Moc Chau is between four and five hours.

By motorcycle it is a 200 kilometer trip. It is recommended to take a bus if you have no experience in driving through mountainous terrain. A bus ticket costs VND160,000-200,000 ($6.9 - 8.7) per person. Once you reach Moc Chau, you can rent a motorcycle to see the sights.

Accommodation

There are many nice rustic guesthouses such as Bo House, Nha Ta, The November, Hillside House and Mama's House. A shared room costs VND100,000 ($4.3) per night, while a private room ranges from VND450,000 to VND900,000.

Food and beverages

Enjoy local specialties such as pan-fried veal, fresh fish from the rivers, local kale and rice cooked in bamboo tubes.

For dinner, you should order a barbecue or hotpot pot in advance from your host family. These usually cost 150,000 VND per person. In addition, there is a wide selection of restaurants and eateries in the city center.

2020 a year of losses for tourism in Vietnam

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The number of foreign tourists in Vietnam reached an all-time high of 18 million in 2019, while the tourism industry took in VND720 trillion ($30.8 billion). For 2020, the government had set a target of receiving 20 million foreign visitors, with an expected industry revenue of $35 billion.

The country saw about two million foreign visitors in January, up 32.8 percent from a year earlier, before expectations were dashed when Covid-19 hit Vietnam on Jan. 23.

Starting in late January, Vietnam's Civil Aviation Administration suspended all flights to and from areas in China affected by the coronavirus and stopped issuing visas to visitors from those locations. China was Vietnam's largest feeder tourism market with nearly 4.8 million arrivals in 2019.

The government also canceled many flights to South Korea, the country's second-largest tourism market, in late February and suspended visa-free travel for South Koreans to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The historic post office in downtown Saigon stands abandoned in April 2020.

The situation worsened in March when many Vietnamese nationals returning from the U.S. and Europe were infected with the virus along with foreigners coming from the same countries. This prompted authorities to impose a three-week social distancing campaign on April 1 and suspend all international flights.

All popular tourist destinations and other entertainment venues in the country, including bars and karaoke parlors, were closed, and people were asked to stay home and not gather in large crowds.

The once crowded beach is empty after a lockdown in Da Nang, Vietnam, Tuesday, July 28, 2020. Vietnam had sealed off its third-largest city for two weeks after more than a dozen cases of COVID-19 were found at a hospital. (AP Photo/Luke Groves)

At the end of April, tourist hotspots were allowed to reopen, although the country remained closed to foreign visitors. Due to the strict restrictions on international travel, the tourism industry has turned to boosting domestic tourism.

Thanks to efficient Covid-19 controls, Vietnam's tourist hotspots were crowded with throngs of local tourists on weekends.

However, the sector stalled again when the first local case of infection occurred in Da Nang on July 25, ending a 99-day streak without transmission in the municipality.

Many places closed their tourist attractions and deployed anti-pandemic measures to contain the spread of infection domestically. The popular Da Nang, home to many famous beaches, and Quang Nam, known for the UNESCO cultural site of Hoi An, then became the country's biggest coronavirus hotspots, both being closed for more than a month.

Phong Nha flood
Between early October and mid-November, the central region and parts of the central highlands were hit by a series of storms that brought torrential rains and caused severe flooding and landslides.

Historic flooding in central Vietnam again put the brakes on the tourism industry. Between early October and mid-November, the central region and parts of the central highlands were hit by a series of storms that brought torrential rains and caused severe flooding and landslides.

At least 192 people were killed and 57 missing, with losses totaling VND30 trillion ($1.3 billion), which the government said was "the worst damage in decades."

Popular tourist spots in central Vietnam such as Hue, Hoi An and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province were inundated by floodwaters and closed to tourists.

 

Vietnam could lose $23 billion in tourism revenue this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, equivalent to about 75 percent of last year's industry revenue, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien told the National Assembly last month.

Due to the closure of borders and suspension of flights, Vietnam welcomed 3.8 million visitors in the January-November period, down 76.6 percent year-on-year, while total tourism revenue is estimated at VND16.6 trillion ($722 million), down 59 percent year-on-year.

So far, Vietnam has gone more than three weeks without community transmission, following a mini-outbreak in HCMC with four locally transmitted cases, triggered by a Vietnam Airlines flight attendant who violated quarantine regulations.

Thanks to strict quarantine and contact tracing measures, Vietnam has managed to keep Covid-19 in check with only 1,432 infections and 35 deaths.

May Rut Island - Phu Quoc

May Rut Island - one of the most beautiful islands in Vietnam

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Why we love May Rut Island

Indigenous cultural experience

May Rut Island is owned by a local family who have been living there for many years. You will experience the real life on site.

Fresh Seafood

The restaurant on the island has its own fish farm. So you can always enjoy fresh seafood.

Freediving

The reefs around the island are just shallow enough to form a perfect free dive site.

The best time to experience May Rut Island

The ideal time to visit May Rut Island is from September to March of the year according to the lunar calendar, when the weather is warm, sunny, not rainy and the sea is calm.

How to get to May Rut Island

To get to the island from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, you can get to Phu Quoc Island by plane or bus (ferry) to reach the port of An Thoi. At the An Thoi port there are numerous ships that will take you to the island. Please do not forget to negotiate the price.