Notice on "Community Relief — Wuhan Virus Response, Round 4"

Dear compatriots,

At noon on August 25, the Nikkei index hit a high of 23,419.54 yen after more than six months of decline driven by the Wuhan coronavirus. This signals that the market is hopeful about the rapid development of treatments and vaccines, especially in the UK and US. That said, financial analysts note that this rise still reflects pent-up “expectations” rather than a real recovery in the underlying economy.

The August 24 advisory committee of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare assessed that the second wave appears to have peaked, with fewer deaths and a fatality rate of 4.7% — below the 6% of the first wave. The effective reproduction number has dropped below 1, but in prefectures like Osaka, Okinawa, Aichi, and Fukuoka, severe cases continue to rise; and in some places the trend is still unclear, so the risk of another surge remains. The committee concluded that vigilance must continue and that testing and treatment capacity should be reinforced.

This brief overview is to remind us that our community is not yet free of this Wuhan pandemic, which continues to weigh on many individuals and families. Just as the aftershocks of an earthquake can be devastating — finishing off buildings already weakened by the initial tremor — even as the pandemic shows signs of easing, the past half-year has left many of our community members materially exhausted and emotionally worn down. The string of painful crimes involving Vietnamese nationals recently reported in the Japanese media is, in part, a symptom of moral decline within the community brought on by the consequences of the pandemic.

In response, the Vietnamese Association in Japan has been planning a fourth round of relief work to further help compatriots who have so far received no assistance from Japanese society.

The contents of the emergency relief package will be similar to previous rounds: 10kg of rice, 5–10 packs of instant noodles, 5–10 packs of instant pho, 2 bottles of fish sauce, and a few cans of meat or fish.

To make this relief work effective and fast — and to better deliver “the right help to the right person at the right time” — VAJ is asking community-minded individuals in each region to register as VAJ volunteers, identifying and registering compatriots in their area who need help.

Once we receive the recipient list with accurate addresses, the Welfare Department will ship relief packages to each volunteer to be redistributed locally, or directly to recipients depending on the needs and conditions in each region. The registration form will be sent to volunteers individually via direct message.

Despite our best efforts, as with every round, the supply of relief packages this round is limited. After receiving the registration form, we kindly ask volunteers to send us their list of recipients before September 7, 2020. The Welfare Department will close registration once the number of requests exceeds what we can fulfill.

Once again, on behalf of VAJ, we hereby announce the start of “Community Relief — Wuhan Virus Response, Round 4,” beginning today, August 25, 2020.

We very much look forward to receiving messages from compatriots interested in volunteering for this round through Facebook. Wishing all of you good health to get through this Wuhan pandemic.

Sincerely,

Vietnamese Association in Japan

President Nguyen Phuong Khanh