1. Covid tests get pricey as infections and anxiety climb

As the number of infections rise, the surging demand for Covid-19 tests and medicines has pushed prices up by double digits. Vietnam has confirmed 43,600 new daily Covid-19 cases on average in the last seven days. The fear of being infected has also prompted many to buy test kits in other localities, leading to shortages. The rising prices have not deterred some people who are willing to pay more to ensure that they are negative for the novel coronavirus.

 Source:https://e.vnexpress.net/news/economy/covid-tests-get-pricey-as-infections-and-anxiety-climb-4431169.html

2. VN-Index nears seven-week high

Vietnam’s benchmark VN-Index rose 0.59 percent to 1,512.30 points Wednesday, highest in nearly seven weeks. The index stayed in the green throughout the day and closed nearly nine points higher after losing seven points Tuesday. Trading value on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE), on which the index is based, fell 20.6 percent to VND22.39 trillion ($980 million).

Source:https://e.vnexpress.net/news/economy/vn-index-nears-seven-week-high-4430152.html

3. PM orders ministries to look into tax reduction on gasoline

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed the trade and finance ministries to study the possibility of lowering the environmental tax on fuel amid surging prices. The environmental tax on the popular RON 95 gasoline is currently VND4,000 per liter ($0.18) or around 15 percent of its retail price. The ratio is similar for the biofuel E5 RON 92. It is one of several taxes on gasoline, the others being special consumption tax (8-10 percent), import tax (8 percent) and value-added tax (10 percent), which add up to 42-43 percent of the retail price. A reduction in the tax is said to help cool down gas prices, which are now at a historic high.

Source:https://e.vnexpress.net/news/economy/pm-orders-ministries-to-look-into-tax-reduction-on-gasoline-4430891.html

4. S&P 500 Falls Deeper Into Correction Territory As Ukraine Declares State Of Emergency

The stock market plunged again on Wednesday—with the S&P 500 falling deeper into correction territory—after the Pentagon warned a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen imminently and Ukraine declared a state of emergency. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 1.4%, nearly 500 points, while the S&P 500 lost 1.8% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 2.6%.The benchmark S&P 500 index fell for the fourth session in a row and is now firmly in correction territory, more than 10% below its record highs earlier this year.

Source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2022/02/23/sp-500-falls-deeper-into-correction-territory-as-ukraine-declares-state-of-emergency/?sh=5bd117875e67