The world has recorded over 3.7 million infections; the UK has become the country with the highest number of deaths in Europe.

For the 20th consecutive day, Vietnam has reported no new community transmission cases.

According to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, as of the morning of May 6th, Vietnam recorded no new Covid-19 infections. This means that for the past 20 days, Vietnam has had no community transmission cases.

The total number of infections remains at 271, of which 232 have recovered and been discharged from the hospital, leaving only 39 cases still under treatment. Of these 39 cases, 9 have now tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 two or more times.

The total number of people in close contact and those entering from epidemic areas who are being monitored for their health (quarantined) is 34,097, of which 245 are in centralized quarantine at hospitals.

Hanoi lifts lockdown order on Ha Loi village after 28 days of closure.

At exactly 0:00 on May 6, 2020, Hanoi City decided to end the lockdown of Ha Loi village (Me Linh commune, Me Linh district) after 28 days of isolation (starting from April 8) due to a case of Covid-19. Currently, the locality has gone 21 consecutive days without any new Covid-19 cases among its residents. Furthermore, all residents of Ha Loi village have been tested by the Hanoi Center for Disease Control and Prevention and all results were negative for Covid-19. In the coming period, the district will continue to disseminate information and urge residents to strictly implement disease prevention measures, avoiding complacency or negligence now that the isolation order has been lifted.

Coordinating efforts to bring 240 Vietnamese citizens from France back to Vietnam.

On May 5th and 6th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese Embassy in France coordinated with domestic authorities, Vietnam National Airlines, and relevant French agencies to organize a flight bringing approximately 240 Vietnamese citizens back home. These included primarily children under 18 (some under 14), elderly people, those with underlying health conditions, and students without accommodation due to dormitory closures. Immediately after landing safely at Van Don International Airport, authorities conducted medical checks and transported those on board to designated quarantine facilities.

Previously, on a flight to France on May 5, 2020, Vietnam National Airlines also transported medical equipment and supplies donated by the Government and people of Vietnam to the Government and people of France.

In the near future, authorities will continue to operate commercial flights to bring Vietnamese citizens back home, in accordance with the developments of the pandemic and the capacity of localities to receive and quarantine them. Currently, Vietnam National Airlines has completed all necessary procedures as required by the US side and is expected to organize a flight on May 7, 2020.

The US added nearly 20,000 new infections in the past 24 hours.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on May 5th that the country had 19,138 new infections and 823 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases nationwide to 1,236,141 and the death toll to 72,167. New York, the epicenter of the outbreak, no longer leads in daily deaths; instead, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have taken the lead.

Meanwhile, several other US states are gradually easing restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on May 5th that nail salons, barbershops, and beauty parlors in the state could reopen on May 8th. Gyms and office buildings will officially reopen on May 18th with certain restrictions. Similarly, Montana Governor Steve Bullock has given schools the option of reopening, having previously allowed churches, retail stores, and restaurants to resume operations. However, most students across the US will remain home until the new fall semester, as 45 states and the Washington D.C. area have ordered or recommended school closures.

On May 5, US President Donald Trump announced he would soon disband the COVID-19 task force as the country moves toward Phase 2, focusing on post-pandemic measures. Earlier that day, Vice President Mike Pence said President Trump intended to hand over control of the COVID-19 response effort on May 25.

The US provided 211 ventilators to Mexico.

On May 5, the US government dispatched a plane carrying ventilators to Mexico to assist in treating COVID-19 patients, as part of an agreement reached between the presidents of the two countries. On the same day, the Mexican government predicted that the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country would occur this week and last for approximately three weeks.

To date, Mexico has recorded 26,025 cases of the disease, including 2,507 deaths. The death rate from Covid-19 in Mexico is expected to be high, as more than 70% of the population suffers from underlying conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

Brazil adds nearly 7,000 new cases.

Brazil's Ministry of Health announced on May 5th that the country had recorded 740 new infections and 17 new deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases nationwide to 115,455 and 7,938 deaths. The number of new infections increased by nearly 6.4% compared to the afternoon of May 4th, while the number of deaths rose by nearly 8.2%. To date, Brazil is the country most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in South America.

São Luís also became the first major city in Brazil to begin a lockdown on May 5th to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Under the lockdown, city authorities prohibited residents from leaving their homes unless absolutely necessary. The lockdown in São Luís will last until May 14th.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Peru has exceeded 50,000.

On May 5th, Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra confirmed that the country had a total of 51,189 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 1,444 deaths. Peru was one of the first South American countries to implement lockdowns to prevent the spread of Covid-19; however, within 10 days, Peru saw its Covid-19 cases double, making it the second hardest-hit country in the region, after Brazil.

Colombia extends lockdown for another two weeks.

Colombian President Ivan Duque announced on May 5th that the lockdown measures currently in place in the country will be extended for another two weeks to curb the spread of Covid-19. To date, Colombia has recorded 8,613 cases of Covid-19, resulting in 378 deaths.

The nationwide lockdown order, issued by the Duque government on March 24, has been extended twice. Despite the decision to extend the lockdown for another two weeks, Mr. Duque stated that certain sectors of industry and specific retail businesses, such as those selling cars or furniture, may begin reopening.

The pandemic continues to show a downward trend in Europe.

The number of deaths from Covid-19 in France has reached 25,531 (an increase of 330 in 24 hours). Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced a series of measures in preparation for the lifting of the lockdown on May 11th, including the creation of approximately 30 new pedestrian streets and 50 km of bicycle lanes in the French capital. To limit the number of cars in the city, Paris authorities are arranging to double the number of parking spaces at city entrances, free for those who purchase monthly or annual passes for the public transport system.

According to data released by the Italian Civil Protection Agency on May 5th, the country recorded an additional 1,075 cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of infections to 213,013. Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to Covid-19 in Italy has risen to 29,315 (an increase of 236).

In the UK, the number of deaths from SARS-CoV-2 infection reached 29,427 by May 5th, making it the country with the second highest number of deaths from Covid-19 in the world, after the US. In the past 24 hours, the UK recorded 4,406 new cases and 693 deaths from Covid-19. British authorities said that over 6.3 million workers have been furloughed and the government has allocated £8 billion ($9.9 billion) to pay their wages during the lockdown.

On May 5th, Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober declared that the Covid-19 pandemic in the country was under control, three weeks after Austria began easing its strict lockdown. The daily number of new infections had fallen from a 50% increase in mid-March to just 0.2%.

On the same day, Luxembourg urged Germany to end its border controls to prevent the spread of the disease, as EU partners struggled to coordinate their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, on May 4th, Germany decided to maintain border controls with smaller neighboring countries until at least May 15th, despite calls for solidarity within the bloc.

In Spain, the Ministry of Health reported 185 additional deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the country to 25,613. This marks the third consecutive day that Spain has recorded fewer than 200 daily deaths. The number of new infections has increased from 218,011 to 219,329. Meanwhile, the Spanish Ministry of Labor reported that the number of unemployed people in the country rose by more than 280,000 in April to 3.8 million. This is due to lockdown measures causing significant difficulties for the country's tourism industry.

Germany discovers antibodies that block the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Scientists in the German city of Braunschweig have discovered antibodies that can prevent the virus from entering cells, raising hopes for the early production of effective treatments for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to expert Stefan Dzigel of the Technical University of Braunschweig, unlike vaccination, where patients are injected with a portion of the pathogen to naturally form antibodies and thus boost immunity, the research team in Braunschweig aims to develop a drug to treat patients with severe Covid-19, a principle known as "passive immunity." The researchers plan to select the best antibodies by mid-June and then conduct trials to allow the first patients to receive antibody therapy by this fall.

Earlier, German Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn suggested it could take years to successfully develop a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek also warned against expecting a quick "miracle" with a vaccine, stating that the earliest it could be available would be mid-2021.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Egypt has surpassed 7,000.

On May 5th, the Egyptian Ministry of Health announced that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country had reached 7,201 after recording 388 new infections. To date, Egypt has recorded 452 deaths due to COVID-19, including 16 new deaths on May 5th. Additionally, 98 more patients, including one foreigner, have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,730.

According to the Ahram newspaper, despite unprecedented anti-epidemic measures implemented by Egyptian authorities, including a nighttime curfew since March, SARS-CoV-2 infections continue to rise. During Ramadan, consumer spending increased significantly, particularly on food and beverages. It is likely that Egypt will extend the curfew this week, considered one of the measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Middle Eastern countries are concerned about the risk of a resurgence of COVID-19.

On May 5th, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported that the country's Ministry of Health had warned the public about a potential resurgence of the second and third waves of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also on that day, according to the Iranian Ministry of Health, the country had 99,970 confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including 6,340 deaths.

Meanwhile, in Türkiye, the number of deaths due to Covid-19 has reached 3,520, including 59 new deaths recorded in the past 24 hours. According to the Turkish Ministry of Health, the total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the country is now 129,491, including 1,832 new cases.

Meanwhile, in Qatar, the Ministry of Health announced that the country had detected an additional 951 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, bringing the total number of cases of this deadly virus to 17,142, of which 15,206 patients are currently undergoing treatment.

On May 5th, the Israeli National Emergency Agency (NEA) also predicted a potential resurgence of Covid-19, with the situation worsening, likely around the time of the Jewish New Year in mid-September. The number of cases could double, reaching tens of thousands. The estimated death toll is between several hundred and several thousand. To date, Israel has recorded 16,289 Covid-19 infections and 238 deaths, unchanged from the previous day. Following a continuous decline in new cases in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a relaxation of social distancing measures starting May 7th.

On the same day, in Palestine, President Mahmoud Abbas announced a decision to extend the state of emergency for another month due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to this decision, Palestinians will have to observe the state of emergency for three consecutive months. However, some restrictions have been eased. Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh stated that people are allowed to leave their homes during the day, and in the coming days, some businesses and shops may reopen. To date, Palestine has recorded 538 cases of Covid-19, including 4 deaths and 168 recoveries.

France detected its first COVID-19 case in December 2019.

French researchers re-examined samples from 24 patients treated in December 2019 and January 2020 who had tested negative for influenza before Covid-19 became a pandemic.

The study revealed that a 42-year-old patient, born in Algeria, who had lived in France for many years and worked as a fishmonger, contracted Covid-19 on December 27, 2019, almost a month before France confirmed its first cases. However, the man had not traveled abroad for months before falling ill and did not know where he might have contracted the disease.

His wife works at a retail store near the Paris airport and frequently interacts with foreign tourists.

Experts believe this patient may be linked to someone who traveled from Wuhan – considered the source of the outbreak – in December before China reported it. However, the French patient actually had no direct contact with China or recent travel history, and experts believe further investigation is needed into this French case.

For researchers, it is too early to definitively say that this man is France's "patient zero." Meanwhile, on May 5th, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that reports of COVID-19 appearing in France in December 2019, earlier than previously thought, were "not surprising," and urged countries to investigate any other suspicious cases. This could be crucial in assessing when and where the novel coronavirus originated.

Indonesia officially postpones regional elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has signed an order postponing the regional elections scheduled for September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the order, signed on May 4th, the elections will be postponed until December due to an "unnatural disaster" and will be further postponed if the pandemic has not ended by then.

Previously, the Indonesian government and House of Representatives had approved a plan to hold local elections on December 9th instead of the originally planned September 23rd due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, according to Titi Anggraini, executive director of the Indonesian Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), the elections are unlikely to take place on that date due to the pandemic situation.

As of May 5th, Southeast Asia had a total of 51,271 confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2, an increase of 1,346 cases compared to the previous day. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has claimed the lives of 1,694 people in the region, an increase of 23 cases compared to the previous day. In addition, the ASEAN region also saw an increase in the number of patients successfully treated, reaching 12,999 cases.

Ha Le