ASEANEWS HEADLINE-CHRISTMAS ASEAN: HÀ NỘI- Đồng Nai’s Catholic community prepares for quiet but joyful Christmas season
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The main entrance of the Tân Mai Church has a huge LED morning star, a symbol of Jesus Christ, with nativity scenes set up on both sides of the church. VNS Photo Phương Mai
With Christmas coming amid the pandemic, the Catholic community in the southern province of Đồng Nai, which has the country’s largest diocese, is looking forward to a more subdued celebration this year.
By Phương Mai
Christmas is the time for decking out shops, houses and churches with ornaments and lights, and spectacular decorations. But with COVID-19 pandemic surging in many parts of Việt Nam, this Christmas season in the southern province of Đồng Nai will be far more restrained than the usual celebrations.
The province, home of Xuân Lộc, the country’s largest diocese with 1.05 million Catholics in 303 parishes with 619 priests, will not be as colourful as in previous years.
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Among the parishes, Tân Mai in Biên Hòa City for years has been famous for its Christmas celebrations with elaborate decorations at the church and nearby Catholic households.
At the entrance of the parish’s church, located inside narrow alleys in Tân Mai Ward, hangs a huge LED morning star, a symbol of Jesus Christ. A large nativity scene has been built on one side of the entrance, while the other side is a scene depicting the three Wise Men following the morning star to visit the infant Jesus on the night of his birth.
A 10m-high Christmas tree made of hundreds of LED lights has also been set up, next to a model of God’s hand holding the globe as a prayer for a better world amid the pandemic.
However, the area surrounding the church is quiet. The Catholic households have decked out their houses with only a few ornaments and lights.
For Biên Hòa residents, the scene is unusual because Tân Mai Parish with a community of 15,000 Catholics has been known for being the most decorated area in the city for a very long time, attracting thousands of Catholics and non-Catholics every year.
Đỗ Hồng Ngọc, a resident of Đồng Nai, said: “Last year, the alleys surrounding the Tân Mai Church were always crowded with people with smiling and happy faces. People came there to take beautiful photos with huge nativity scenes, Christmas trees and models of Santa Claus.”
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READ MORE: https://aseanews.net/2021/12/20/christmas-asean-ha-noi-dong-nais-catholic-community-prepares-for-quiet-but-joyful-christmas-season/
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VIET NAM
COVID-19 OUTBREAK
Cases reported in Hà Nội (1,405), Cà Mau (1,345), Hồ Chí Minh City (1,014), Tây Ninh (941), Bến Tre (838), Cần Thơ (793), Đồng Tháp (780), Khánh Hòa (599), Vĩnh Long (593), Bình Phước (559), Bạc Liêu (537), Trà Vinh (493), Bình Định (434), Sóc Trăng (425), Đồng Nai (417), Hải Phòng (417), Thừa Thiên Huế (362), An Giang (344), Kiên Giang (312), Tiền Giang (277), Lâm Đồng (245), Bình Dương (245), Đắk Lắk (239), Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu (221), Bắc Ninh (219), Thanh Hóa (186), Đà Nẵng (143), Quảng Ninh (139), Quảng Ngãi (137), Bình Thuận (135), Nghệ An (124), Gia Lai (108), Phú Yên (96), Hưng Yên (80), Long An (69), Quảng Nam (69), Hà Giang (67), Nam Định (67), Vĩnh Phúc (67), Hải Dương (59), Lạng Sơn (54), Ninh Thuận (51), Đắk Nông (51), Thái Bình (44), Bắc Giang (41), Quảng Bình (37), Hà Tĩnh (37), Thái Nguyên (31), Phú Thọ (26), Hà Nam (22), Quảng Trị (18), Sơn La (17), Tuyên Quang (16), Yên Bái (14), Lào Cai (11), Hòa Bình (7), Cao Bằng (7), Điện Biên (5), Hậu Giang (3), Lai Châu (1).
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ASEAN Covid-19 Table – 20 December 2021
Asean as a whole has reported more than 14.5 million COVID-19 cases. Of this, more than 610,000 are active cases as of December 20.
The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 219 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances.
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1. BRUNEI:
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2. CAMBODIA:
Second case of Omicron variant of coronavirus detected in Cambodia
Cambodia has detected its second case of COVID-19 victim who has been infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The second Omicron infected person is a 25 year old Irish male who had entered Cambodia on December 16 from Kenya. He had flown from Kenya to Dubai, Dubai to Thailand and Thailand to Phnom Penh .
He is currently being treated at the National Center for Tuberculosis and Leprosy in Phnom Penh.
Cambodia found the first case of the Covid-19 virus infection, SARS-CoV-2 on a 23-year-old Cambodian woman who returned from work in Ghana.
G7 health ministers today held their final meeting of the UK’s G7 Presidency, focusing particularly on the very worrying developments on Omicron.
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READ MORE: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50990606/second-case-of-omicron-variant-of-coronavirus-detected-in-cambodia/
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3. INDONESIA:
Third Omicron case sparks call for vigilance
A woman takes part in a simulation of Covid-19 health protocols at the international airport in Tuban on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on October 9, 2021, ahead of the island reopening to tourists on October 14. (AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka)
Three cases of the Omicron mutation of COVID-19 have sparked calls for a surveillance intervention to prevent a third wave of infections ahead of the Christmas holidays. Indonesia was one of the latest nations to report confirmed cases of the more contagious variant, after weeks of being on high alert as the strain swept across the world and was detected in 89 countries, including neighboring states. It was also one of the more lenient countries in terms of imposing travel and activity restrictions when the variant was reported, which sparked calls for more vigilance, especially after two more Omicron cases were confirmed on Friday among returning travelers.
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Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2021/12/19/third-omicron-case-sparks-call-for-vigilance.html.
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Latest official COVID-19 data close x
Confirmed 4,260,544
Deaths 144,002
Recovered 4,111,619
Source: Indonesian government
Last Update: Dec 20, 2021
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4. LAOS:
Public, private sectors need to work together to overcome challenges: PM
Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh has called on the public and private sectors to strengthen their collaboration in order to overcome the challenges posed by the Covid crisis and accelerate economic recovery.
Mr Phankham made the call when addressing a meeting of cabinet members and leading business operators in Vientiane on Friday.
The two-day meeting was attended by deputy prime ministers, ministers, business leaders and representatives of Party and State bodies.
“We need to capitalise on the potential and opportunities offered by the Laos-China railway and expressway in order to develop logistics, services and tourism and integrate our economy with others in the region,” Mr Phankham said. “The public and private sectors cannot act independently. They need to be stakeholders and
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5. MALAYSIA:
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6. MYANMAR:
Widening US sanctions make it harder to invest in Myanmar, but will not change much
Few expect the sanctions declared on Dec 10 to change the status quo in Myanmar’s political crisis. PHOTO: REUTERS
BANGKOK – Top United States diplomat Antony Blinken visited Indonesia and Malaysia this week after Washington announced sanctions on another list of military-linked entities and individuals in Myanmar.
Few expect the sanctions declared on Dec 10 to change the status quo in Myanmar’s political crisis. But the growing list of targeted entities – and the threat of more – is narrowing the space for international corporations to invest in Myanmar, say consultants. Such concerns will also hang over companies in Singapore, from which many multinational companies invest in Myanmar.
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7. PHILIPPINES:
Death toll passes 200 after Philippines typhoon
In this photo taken on December 17, 2021, residents trie to salvage belongings next to destroyed houses along the coast in Ubay town, Bohol province, in central Philippines, a day after super Typhoon Rai devastated the town. (AFP/Dave Responte) Share Ferdinandh Cabrera (AFP) Manila, Philippines ● Mon, December 20, 2021
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The death toll from the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year surpassed 200 on Monday, as desperate survivors pleaded for urgent supplies of drinking water and food.
The Philippine Red Cross reported “complete carnage” in coastal areas after Typhoon Rai left homes, hospitals and schools “ripped to shreds”.
The storm tore off roofs, uprooted trees, toppled concrete power poles, smashed wooden houses to pieces, wiped out crops and flooded villages — sparking comparisons with Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2021/12/20/death-toll-passes-200-after-philippines-typhoon-.html.
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Today’s Paper: December 20, 2021
Today’s Paper: December 16, 2021
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8. SINGAPORE:
Number of Covid-19 cases in ICU down by half since start of this month
SINGAPORE – The number of critically ill Covid-19 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has more than halved since the beginning of the month, from 61 as at Dec 1 to 29 on Sunday (Dec 19).
About 43.8 per cent of ICU beds were being used as at Sunday, with seven patients requiring close monitoring.
Similarly, those requiring oxygen supplementation has gradually fallen from 206 cases as at Dec 1 to 62 cases on Sunday.
READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/number-of-covid-19-cases-in-icu-down-by-half-since-start-of-this-month
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9. THAILAND:
Thais test positive for Omicron
8 quarantined after Saudi Arabia visits
PUBLISHED : 20 DEC 2021 AT 04:30
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Eight Thais, from two tour groups, tested positive for the Omicron coronavirus variant after returning from an annual pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Authorities have urged people not to panic over the imported cases as those infected have been quarantined.
Preeda Chueaphudee, adviser to the Chularatchamontri — the country’s Muslim spiritual leader — said about 30 Thais returning from a pilgrimage arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on Dec 15.
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READ MORE:. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2234491/thais-test-positive-for-omicron
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10. VIET NAM:
Hà Nội nears 25,000 total infections as 16,093 cases reported Sunday
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HÀ NỘI — The capital city of Hà Nội recorded 1,405 COVID-19 infections on Sunday, as Việt Nam posted a daily rise of 16,110 cases.
Hà Nội has seen its daily cases count reach four digits for the fourth consecutive day since the start of the pandemic. The city again recorded the highest number of daily infections nationwide on Sunday, with the total number of people infected now at 24,267.
The number of COVID-19 related fatalities reported on Sunday was 215, with 57 deaths recorded in HCM City.
Total cases since the start of the pandemic now stand at 1,540,478, of which 1,534,979 are the result of the fourth wave since April 27.
Only 17 cases on Sunday were imported ones; the other 16,093 infections were local. A total of 10,542 new transmissions were detected in the community.
Behind Hà Nội, Cà Mau recorded 1,345 cases and HCM City recorded 1,014 cases.
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