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Over 340 Vietnamese citizens returned home from Japan.
On May 25th, Vietnamese authorities, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, and Vietnam National Airlines coordinated with local authorities to safely bring more than 340 Vietnamese citizens from Japan back to Vietnam.
These are citizens in particularly difficult circumstances who wish to return home, including children under 18, the elderly, the sick and those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, and workers whose visas have expired... From the departure time, Vietnam Airlines also combined the flight with transporting a shipment of medical masks donated by the Vietnamese Government to the Government and people of Japan.
Vietnam recorded one new COVID-19 case returning from France, and eight cases were declared recovered.
On the afternoon of May 25th, the Ministry of Health announced the detection of one additional case of Covid-19 returning from France. The individual was immediately isolated upon entry and poses no risk of community transmission. Patient 326 is a 20-year-old female student studying in France, currently isolated and receiving treatment at the Cu Chi Field Hospital.
As of the morning of May 26th, the Treatment Subcommittee of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control announced that 8 more COVID-19 patients have been declared recovered (3 at the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital, 4 at Bac Lieu Provincial General Hospital, and 1 at Quang Ninh Field Hospital No. 2). Notably, patient number 19 has been discharged after 7 negative test results. These cases will continue to be isolated and monitored for their health for the next 14 days. Thus, to date, 272 COVID-19 cases in Vietnam have recovered.
The number of new infections has surged in Bangladesh and Malaysia.
On May 25, the Bangladesh Ministry of Health reported 1,975 new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the past 24 hours, the highest daily number since March 8, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh to 35,585. Additionally, Bangladesh recorded 21 new deaths, raising the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in the country to 501.
On the same day, the number of new Covid-19 cases in Malaysia nearly tripled compared to the previous day, reaching its highest level in three weeks. The Malaysian Ministry of Health recorded 172 new SARS-CoV-2 infections. This also marks the first time in 21 days that the number of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia has returned to three digits. Of the new cases on May 25th, only 5 were imported, while 167 were domestically transmitted, including 159 non-Malaysian citizens. Notably, among these 159 foreign nationals, 112 were detected in immigration detention centers.
India recorded nearly 7,000 new infections in a single day.
On May 25th, India recorded a record high number of daily COVID-19 cases, placing it among the top 10 countries most severely affected by the pandemic.
Specifically, India recorded an additional 6,977 cases – the highest daily number of new infections since the outbreak began in the country – bringing India's total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections to 138,845. Of these, more than 4,000 have died. The number of infections began to increase more rapidly as many transportation activities resumed in India.
Japan announces lifting of nationwide state of emergency.
On May 25th, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the lifting of the state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the remaining five prefectures nationwide. Specifically, the state of emergency was lifted in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, and Hokkaido prefectures. With this announcement, the government has allowed citizens to travel freely and businesses to resume operations across the country.
South Korea announces new regulations for foreigners re-entering the country.
Starting June 1st, foreigners residing in South Korea will be required to present a re-entry permit and a health certificate upon re-entering the country. This new regulation aims to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from abroad.
Specifically, before departing, foreigners wishing to return to South Korea must apply for a re-entry permit at immigration offices nationwide. In addition to this permit, entrants must also present a health certificate from an authorized medical institution, including details such as the date, person conducting, and results of the Covid-19 test, issued two days before entry.
South Korea is implementing a QR code scanning system to enhance COVID-19 prevention measures.
Due to concerns that the current system of registering people entering and exiting entertainment venues lacks accuracy, local governments in South Korea plan to implement an electronic QR code scanning system.
Specifically, authorities in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, and Daegu have banned gatherings at bars and karaoke venues and are preparing to implement an electronic QR code scanning system on mobile phones to record the entry and exit of people at high-risk locations for COVID-19 infection. The disease control agency stated that they will only collect the minimum personal information necessary for epidemiological investigations and will encrypt and automatically delete this information after four weeks.
Iran allows prayer at some major mosques.
After being closed for more than two months due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Iran resumed operations at several major Shiite mosques across the country on May 25. These mosques were permitted to open from one hour after dawn until one hour before sunset.
The management of these temples is required to ensure compliance with social distancing and hygiene regulations; worshippers must wear masks, have their temperature checked, and bring personal items such as mats and prayer books.
Europe is slowly returning to normal life.
On May 25th, Denmark eased border controls with other countries in northwestern Europe and Germany, allowing couples to reunite if they can prove they have been in a relationship for at least six months through text messages, private photos, or each other's personal information.
In Belgium, citizens are entering the next phase of the second stage of easing social distancing measures. Specifically, students of all levels have returned to school, and wearing masks is no longer mandatory for children under 12. In addition, the government has allowed prison visits to resume under strict conditions, such as only one visit per person and once a week. Brussels Airlines also announced it will resume commercial flights next month on a smaller scale after a three-month suspension due to the pandemic.
In Iceland, the government has also eased the national alert level for Covid-19, allowing gatherings of up to 200 people. Gyms can reopen but only at 50% capacity, while bars and restaurants can serve customers until 11 pm daily. The Icelandic government has also allowed hair salons, museums, and schools to reopen.
Brazil has for the first time recorded a higher number of daily COVID-19 deaths than the United States.
On May 25th, the Brazilian Ministry of Health announced that the number of daily deaths from Covid-19 in the South American country had surpassed that of the United States for the first time. Brazil recorded its highest number of deaths to date in the past 24 hours – 807 deaths from Covid-19, compared to only 620 in the US.
Brazil is currently the second most severely affected country by the Covid-19 pandemic after the United States. The total number of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections in this South American nation is now 374,898.
The US has discovered a COVID-19 outbreak at several meat packing plants.
US authorities have just discovered a COVID-19 outbreak at nine production facilities in Vernon, Southern California. The Los Angeles County Department of Health confirmed that five of the nine facilities are meatpacking plants, and the largest outbreak is at Farmer John's, where 153 out of 1,837 employees have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The business owner requested that health authorities conduct virus testing for all employees, and the Los Angeles County Department of Health is assisting the city of Vernon in implementing response measures, containing the outbreak, and enforcing quarantine and social distancing protocols.
WHO suspends trials of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 treatment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has “temporarily” suspended clinical trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine for its potential to treat Covid-19 in a number of countries. This decision is seen as a precautionary measure.
Speaking at an online press conference on May 25, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the decision was made after the medical journal Lancet published a study showing that the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 patients could increase their risk of death.
