AmCham Vietnam Weekly Update - 31st Week of 2020 - August 1, 2020
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Executive Director Update
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Recent and Upcoming Events
Colleagues, so much has changed in the last week from a feeling of return to pre-COVID normalcy in our seeming oasis in Vietnam, to now dealing with a second outbreak. We know this second wave will be hard for many of our members, particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sector in Da Nang and Hoi An, who were just starting to get a feeling of coming back to a new-normal. But we also know our AmCham chapter in Da Nang will be more important than ever to our members there, and thank Da Nang Vice Chairman Chris Vanloon for his outreach to, and support of, our Da Nang and Central Vietnam-based members (see message from Chris below). While we have canceled our Da Nang August Connect & Cocktails, we hope we will be able to resume in-person meetings soon, including our September C&C, scheduled for. Here in HCMC, many of us have been working from home again in home quarantine after recent visits to Da Nang. I, for one, have been enjoying my garden!
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New social distancing restrictions have been imposed in Da Nang, Hoi An, Hanoi, Dak Lak, and now HCMC, including in HCMC, a ban on gatherings of more than 30 persons. In addition to the official guidelines that have been issued, we recommend you again become more mindful of health and safety protocols in your workplaces and personally to minimize the risk of exposure. Our AmCham Healthcare Committee Medical Providers have some more specific recommendations below.
We also wanted to share with you actions AmCham Vietnam has taken in response. When you visit the AmCham office, your temperature will be screened at the lobby entrance and you will be required to use hand sanitizer. We will encourage you to wear masks at the AmCham office, and will have plenty of hand sanitizer available.
We have cancelled or postponed some events, like our HCMC Connect & Cocktails networking event, scheduled to take place on July 30. It is now rescheduled for Thursday, August 27, and will feature an opportunity to support local business with several of our Discount Partners, and an opportunity for American citizens to register to vote, with support from the U.S. Consulate American Citizen Services Team.
We also postponed an HR People Analytics Event, originally scheduled for August 4 (now TBD). And AusCham has postponed a Golf Scramble event in Da Nang which we co-sponsored, from August 1 until August 29.
Next week, many on the AmCham team are hoping to get some well-deserved time off, but we will have two really interesting events: a Monday afternoon Capital Markets and Financial Services Committee meeting with special guest speaker and VinaCapital CIO Andy Ho (members only, register at
LINK
), as a hybrid, Level III event (limited to 30 in-person participants with masks required; see ratings at
LINK
); and Friday, August 7, from 5:15-6:45PM, we will hold a Business Intelligence Briefing on the new Public-Private Partnership Law with an panel of experts from MPI, LNT, VCCI, and EY (open to members and non-members,
LINK
)
. Originally planned as a hybrid event, it will now take place exclusively online as a Level IV event. We will defer decisions on formats for events for August 10 and later, but are prepared to hold all meetings and events virtually if needed.
We have scheduled the Delivery Ceremony of a Realtime PCR analyzer on Monday, August 10 to donate to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control in managing its response to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. We very much appreciate the generous contributions from First Solar, Diag Labs, MSD, Cargill, Russin & Vecchi, and UPC Renewables.
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We are looking to expand our Executive Team in HCMC to include an engaging and talented person as its Advocacy & Communications Manager. This newly-created role reflects our growing membership and desired investment to make AmCham Vietnam the most strategic, influential, and dynamic business association in Vietnam that drives innovation and helps its member companies succeed in Vietnam. Check out our Recruitment Notice and Job Description in this
LINK
. If interested, please send your CV and cover letter to
hr@amchamvietnam.com
. The deadline for application is COB on Monday, August 17, 2020. Please share the recruitment notice with others in your network you think might be good candidates!
Please stay well and be safe.
We welcome your feedback at
team@amchamvietnam.com
to let us know how we can serve you better.
Mary Tarnowka, Executive Director
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Special Message from AmCham Vietnam - Da Nang
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Greetings to all from Da Nang Chapter,
I hope that you all are staying safe and are healthy. I don’t need to brief you on the situation, you know the situation and you know that the local government is taking every measure to stop the spread of the virus. And they of course will once again be victorious.
If you have to go out to shop, I would recommend going to Mega Market very early. Like today when I ran into fellow Da Nang Board Member and UAC Vietnam General Director Liviu Lese at 6:15 this morning who was also shopping for his family. There was basically no one else there. Outside of that, we all have to just stay home, stay safe, and wait this out.
On a brighter note, while obviously our August ‘Connect & Cocktails’ has been cancelled, we are already starting the groundwork for our September 18 C&C. We plan to organize a fleet of 16-seat vans with free flow of champagne from my building to take people to Hoi An. The main venue will be the exclusive use of the beautiful Mango Mango where Chef and Owner Duc Tran will be serving up a beautiful array of fusion and western cuisine. Coupled with again free flow of wine and Budweiser Beer. Attendance again will be free for everyone invited and of course more lucky draw prizes. If you haven’t been to Mango Mango you will be amazed! Naturally we will then travel back to Danang the same way and drop off back at the building. No doubt it will be a great event!
All the best,
Chris Vanloon, Vice Chairman (and IndoChina Riverside Towers General Director)
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Stay Informed- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak
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AmCham Vietnam wants to provide a safe environment for events and business networking. We recognized that there was always a risk of a second outbreak, pand it looks like we are experiencing it now. We also know that we all have different comfort levels with respect to the changing situation.
[LINK]
In response, AmCham has a rating system for all of our events, explained below. We recently modified our Level III criteria to align with HCMC guidelines. We hope the rating system is useful to you in making your own decisions about which events in which you would like to participate. As always, we welcome your feedback at
team@amchamvietnam.com
.
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Some additional tips below from Dr. Mason Cobb, Vice-Chair, and Dr. Andy Meadows, of AmCham Healthcare Committee’s Medical Providers Subcommittee:
The COVID-19 community cases from the Central region gob-smacked most of us living in Vietnam in our safe, comfortable bubble. Suddenly there were multiple cases in a few days, and still counting. Although concentrated in Central Vietnam, cases spread rapidly to other areas, including a few cases in Hanoi, one in Dak Lak, and two in Ho Chi Minh City. Two cases in HCMC had 121 F1s who have tested negative to date. The contact tracing and quarantining is ongoing. A street in Thu Duc District is locked down pending test results on a returnee from Da Nang.
And sadly, Vietnam experienced its first three COVID-related death in Vietnam yesterday, a 70-year old man from Hoi An, who also suffered from heart and kidney disease, a 61-yr-old man in Da Nang, who had a history of chronic renal failure, as well as hypertension, diabetes, heart issues, and gout, and a
68-yr-old woman in Da Nang, who had
malignant hematologic carcinoma in the final stage, severe pneumonia, hypertension and diabetes.
The situation is evolving rapidly. Friday, the HCMC People's Committee closed bars and dance clubs. Large gatherings (>30), festivals, etc. are banned and nonurgent conferences and meetings are also discouraged. Masks must always be worn in public. Hand washing/sanitizing is recommended before or after necessary meetings and shaking hands and close contact is discouraged.
We will post further developments. Over-reaction and being out front has been the most effective reaction and Vietnam is a world-champion at managing this plague.
There is already some panic and confusion over how serious this will be. There is good news and bad news. It is good that we are now recognizing that this is not your average flu, although mortality rates have been dropping. As doctors learn more about effective treatments and with knowledge of 6 types of varying symptoms and severity, they can better spot the cases likely to be most serious, and launch earlier effective treatment.
The bad news: Alarmingly, globally, some 3 out of 4 patients sustain long-lasting heart damage and other sustained limitations. Most of these do not even have serious symptoms. Worse, this mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is now in Vietnam is more contagious and insidious, in that it can be spread before spreaders notice illness, if they ever do.
Since there is heightened concern, there are 2 apps that are useful. The MoH provides the nCOVI app which allows you to register your own health information which may come in handy. It is also a running account of the situation in Vietnam as well as the world. The BlueZone app alerts you by scanning other cellphones, if you are close to a positive case. It also carries current pandemic news. As the situation evolves and other cases may be identified, these are both extremely useful apps.
Concern and close attention are justified. It is a time to remember some of the safe practices we drifted away from: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the USA, is well-aligned with MoH and offers 5 universal precautions:
1. Wear face masks always when out
2. Avoid crowds
3. Physically distance at least 2 meters from others
4. Practice careful and frequent hand-washing
5. Avoid bars and crowded, enclosed spaces
Stay safe and be well!
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5:15-7:00pm. Please register to receive the Zoom link.
Event Level Rating: IV
On June 18, Vietnam’s National Assembly approved a new law on public-private partnerships that will facilitate greater private sector investment in critically-needed infrastructure. It allows the government to share financial risks and now makes projects in transport, energy, water management, education, and healthcare infrastructure eligible for PPP deals. Join this discussion to learn from a panel of experts about how you can take advantage of these new opportunities.
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AusCham’s 7th Annual Golf Scramble returns in 2020 in HCMC, Hanoi, and Da Nang with an Ambrose/ Scramble format. It’s time to save the dates and lock in your application and /or sponsorship level and celebrate the return of this iconic event. This will be ‘the’ premier golf event to join this year playing on amazing courses across 3 cities, co-hosted by many other international Chambers of Commerce, enjoying great food and drinks with friends and colleagues with the proceeds of the events going to worthy local charities.
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5:00-7:00pm. Please register to receive the Zoom link.
Event Level Rating: IV
Join this special virtual Women in Leadership (WIL) networking and town hall discussion to meet others interested in women’s leadership issues, and to share your ideas for future AmCham WIL speakers, events, and programs.
After an initial welcome, you will rotate through three virtual discussion groups focused on
3 Rs: Resilience, Relationships, and Results
, facilitated by some of our wonderful WIL volunteer leaders. We will then come back together to discuss the key recommendations and other ideas for future WIL programming.
Resilience
will focus on how to maintain physical and mental wellness and resiliency.
Relationships
will focus on ensuring diversity and inclusion in our workplaces, building our own networks of support, and creating them for other women, including the next generation of female leaders.
Results
will focus on what you want to achieve: speakers on specific areas of interest from financial planning, conflict management, to public speaking; mentorship; or possibly short-term leadership and capacity-building training.
Women and men welcome. BYO cocktails, appetizers, or dinner!
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8:00-11:30am, InterContinental Saigon, Corner of Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan Blvd., Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: III
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4:00-5:00pm, AmCham Office, Room 323, New World Hotel Saigon, 76 Le Lai St., Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: III
We would like to invite you to join Hybrid Virtual AmCham 101 – New Member Orientation.
At this new members event, you will learn more from our Executive Director, Mary Tarnowka, about AmCham Vietnam benefits, our mission, and programs to help new members achieve success, and how to get involved in and maximize your investment in AmCham membership. It is also a way to meet other new AmCham Vietnam HCMC members. While this event is designed for new members, we welcome other members on a space available basis. If you can not join this meeting physically, you can still register to join virtually via Zoom.
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Thursday, August 27
6:00-8:30pm, Hotel Equatorial, 242 Tran Binh Trong St., Dist. 5
Event Level Rating: II
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AmCham will continue our monthly informal networking event – AmCham Connect and Cocktails! Our AmCham Connect & Cocktails provides an opportunity to meet AmCham members and other professionals in an informal after-work setting over a glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail.
Please plan to join for a great night of networking and our essential Lucky Draw!!
Note this month’s Connect & Cocktails will feature
an opportunity to support local business with several of our Discount Partners, and an opportunity for American citizens to register to vote, with support from the U.S. Consulate American Citizen Services Team.
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Thursday, September 3
[Save the Date] AmCham Members Night & Meet the U.S. Consul General
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6:00-8:30pm, Venue to be informed
Event Level Rating: II
AmCham invites you to the AmCham Members Night event including the U.S. Consulate General staff on Thursday, September 3, 2020. Please plan to join the networking cocktail reception at 6:00pm. This will be our special opportunity to introduce
and welcome our recently-joined members. After remarks by Consul General Marie Damour and introduction of new members of the Consulate team,
a cocktail reception will offer networking opportunities for one-on-one conversations with the Consulate General Team, AmCham Governors, and fellow members.
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XAct Solutions is a management consultancy established with a focus on supply chain and related industrial property solutions with professionals located in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Tokyo and Bangkok. Our people are very experienced in supply chain and property matters with deep expertise in areas such as supply chain opportunity assessment (including network planning), transport procurement and management, DC operations improvement, industrial property design and procurement, supply chain systems implementations and a number of other areas.
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ZENPLAZA stands out among the initial buildings in HCMC that remained stability, development, innovation up to nowadays. Aiming to accommodate clients with diversifying office demand, ZENPLAZA is proud of its unstoppable efforts, remarkable experience in supplying its prestigious services beautified uniquely by Japanese culture point.
Please, let us make your concern in finding an office space become a real value.
Contact:
0949 79 20 70 (Vn-En)
0903 98 89 19 (Japanese)
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Welcome to our Labor Law Review No.02.2020, which provides you with (i) the insight “What employers should do if employees absent from work for several days without permission and (ii) updates on labor law from May 01, 2020, to June 14, 2020.
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Committee Meetings & Activities (For AmCham Members Only)
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4:00-5:00pm, Sunwah Corner Corporate Café, 6/F, Sunwah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist . 1
Event Level Rating: III
The meeting will also be available via Zoom. For physical attendees, please register in advance to reserve your seat. For virtual attendees, please register to receive the Zoom link.
- Introduction of CMFSC to new members
- View on Vietnam’s Capital Markets and Financial Services - by Andy Ho, CIO of VinaCapital
- Q&A
- CMFS Subcommittees Kickoff Meeting
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9:00-10:30am, AmCham Vietnam HCMC, Suite 323, New World Saigon Hotel, 76 Le Lai St., Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: III
You can join us virtually or physically.
For physical attendees, the maximum number of seats are 8. Please register in advance to reserve your seat.
For virtual attendees, please register to receive the Zoom link.
Monthly meeting to discuss 2020 priorities.
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5:00-6:15pm, Baker & McKenzie (Vietnam) Ltd 12th Floor, Saigon Tower, 29 Le Duan Street, Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: III
Regular monthly meeting of the committee to review upcoming events, discuss and prepare positions on key issues, laws and regulations relating to trade and investment between Vietnam and the United States.
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9:00-10:00am, AmCham Vietnam-HCMC, Suite 323, New World Saigon Hotel, 76 Le Lai Street, Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: III
You can join us virtually or physically.
For physical attendees, the maximum number of seats are 8. Please register in advance to reserve your seat.
For virtual attendees, please register to receive the Zoom link.
Monthly meeting to discuss 2020 priorities.
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4:15-5:45pm, KPMG Office, Galaxy Meeting Room 10th Fl., Sun Wah Tower, 115 Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1
Event Level Rating: III
You can join us virtually or physically.
For physical attendees, please register in advance to reserve your seat.
For virtual attendees, please register to receive the Zoom link.
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AmCham Premium Membership
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The AmCham Premium Membership 2020 is a leadership-level membership for companies contributing strategic support for AmCham's mission and programs. Our Premium Membership comes with a range of exclusive benefits. One all-inclusive Premium Membership's annual billing simplifies your businesses' sponsorship efforts.
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We love our AmCham members! Do you know all the benefits you get with your membership? Maybe you only remember the ones you've used recently, but there are many ways even our basic level members benefit at AmCham.
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The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
New World Hotel Suite 323
76 Le Lai Street, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: +84 28 3824 3562
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