The Vietnamese government has included about 70,000 Taiwanese in its COVID-19 vaccination program after bilateral negotiations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
At least four Taiwanese businesspeople in Vietnam have died of COVID-19. Since last month, the country has had a surge of infections.
About 70,000 Taiwanese businesspeople and compatriots reside in Vietnam, most of them in the south, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement.
Photo: European Press Photo Agency
Those residing near the country’s industrial parks or areas hardest-hit by the pandemic would be prioritized for vaccination, she added.
Many Taiwanese in the country have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 as the Vietnamese government has not obtained an adequate supply of vaccine doses, she said.
On Aug. 4, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) met with Representative to Taiwan Nguyen Anh Dung, urging him to push Vietnam’s central and local governments to arrange for Taiwanese to be vaccinated as soon as possible, she said.
The Vietnamese government has agreed to accept employee lists from Taiwanese businesses in preparation for vaccinations, she said.
The ministry would continue to monitor Vietnam’s virus situation, while offering assistance to Taiwanese through business groups and other channels, Ou said.
As of Monday, three employees at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City had tested positive for COVID-19, ministry data showed.
On Tuesday last week, Representative to Vietnam Richard Shih (石瑞琦) donated 300 oxygen concentrators to Vietnam on behalf of Taiwan, the office said, adding that 200 oxygen concentrators would be distributed to field hospitals in the south, while the other 100 would be distributed in Ho Chi Minh City.
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