Vietnam's 11th day without new COVID-19 cases in the community
The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said that no new cases have been recorded as of this morning. The current number of cases remains at 270. Thus, since April 17, Vietnam has entered the 11th day without recording new cases due to community transmission.
The Treatment Subcommittee of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said that among the remaining cases being treated, 13 cases have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once and 3 cases have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 twice or more.
Vietnam brings more than 100 citizens home from Indonesia
On April 26, Vietnamese authorities, the Vietnamese Embassy in Jakarta, Vietjet Air and Indonesian authorities brought back more than 100 Vietnamese citizens. These were cases in difficult circumstances such as children under 18 years old, the elderly, students without a place to live due to dormitories being closed, and people whose visas had expired but were stuck due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the way back, Vietjet Air's flight also brought a number of Indonesian citizens home. The flight was strictly ensured in terms of security, safety and epidemic hygiene. After landing in Can Tho, all participants in the flight will be checked for health and quarantined in accordance with regulations.
37 provinces and cities officially allow students to return to school
Today, April 27, many localities have allowed students to return to school after many weeks of school closure due to the Covid-19 epidemic. Thus, following the first 8 localities to return to school last week (including Ca Mau, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Gia Lai, Yen Bai, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Phu Tho), this week, 29 provinces and cities have continued to allow students to return to school such as: An Giang, Bac Lieu, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Bac Kan, Binh Dinh, Dien Bien, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Tinh, Hai Duong,...
COVID-19 epidemic situation in Southeast Asia
The epidemic continues to spread in some Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore (+931 cases), Philippines (+285 cases and 7 deaths), Indonesia (+275 cases and 23 deaths), Malaysia (+38 cases). However, Thailand recorded a decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases per day with 15 new cases and no additional deaths.
The Philippine Ministry of Health announced on April 26 that the country recorded 501 deaths and 285 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 7,579.
Malaysia has so far reported a total of 5,780 cases of COVID-19, including 98 deaths. Indonesia has reported 8,882 cases, including 743 deaths. Thailand has reported 2,922 cases, including 51 deaths.
Singapore builds field hospitals at exhibition centers
Singapore's Ministry of Health announced on April 26 that the Lion Island has recorded 931 more cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection causing the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total number of infections to 13,624, becoming one of the countries most seriously affected by the epidemic in Asia, leading Southeast Asia in the number of patients. Singapore is urgently building a number of field hospitals in exhibition centers in the context of a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 acute respiratory infections in the country.
One such facility is the Changi Exhibition Center, which normally hosts the Singapore Airshow – Asia’s largest air show – and can accommodate up to 4,000 patients with mild symptoms and who are recovering. On April 25, the first patients, mostly Bangladeshi and Indian workers, were transferred to the vast exhibition center, where remote-controlled robots deliver meals and provide telegram services to minimize contact with patients.
China records all COVID-19 patients in Wuhan have recovered
On April 26, the spokesman for China's National Health Commission (NHC) - Mi Feng - said: Wuhan City, where the COVID-19 epidemic originated, currently has no more cases in hospitals. Previously, Wuhan recorded a total of 46,452 cases of the virus, accounting for 56% of China's total infections.
India deploys mobile COVID-19 testing vans
Indian authorities have begun working with several companies to deploy mobile COVID-19 testing teams across the country. India has a relatively low rate of testing for COVID-19 and this move will help increase the number of people being tested, reducing the risk of community spread. India has so far reported more than 26,000 cases of COVID-19 with more than 800 deaths.
The number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the Middle East continues to increase
Iran has recorded 60 more deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 5,710, out of 90,481 cases. Iran is in the context of gradually easing restrictions on its people, after the country recorded a daily death toll of less than 100 since April 14. Iran is currently one of the Middle Eastern countries most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 26, Egyptian state media cited the Ministry of Health as saying that the country had detected 215 more cases of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19 acute respiratory disease. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Egypt has now reached 4,534.
The Turkish Ministry of Health announced that in the past 24 hours, 2,357 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were detected and 99 more people died from this dangerous disease. Currently, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Türkiye is 110,130, of which 2,805 people died and 29,140 people recovered.
Also on April 26, Qatar detected 929 more cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 10,287. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there were also 536 more cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, bringing the total number of infections in the UAE to 10,349. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 infections in Kuwait is currently 3,075 after detecting 183 new infections. Lebanon also recorded 3 more cases of COVID-19 on the same day, bringing the total number of people infected with this disease to 707.
The COVID-19 epidemic situation in Europe has positive developments
The Italian Civil Protection Agency said on April 26 that the country had recorded 260 more deaths from COVID-19, the lowest increase since March 15, bringing the total number of deaths in this Southern European country to 26,644. In the past 24 hours, Italy also recorded 2,324 more cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the "boot-shaped country" to 197,675 cases, of which the number of recovered cases was 64,928 (an increase of 1,808 cases).
In Paris, the number of deaths in the past 24 hours was 242 cases, down more than 1/3 compared to the previous day and bringing the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in France to 22,856. To date, a total of 44,903 COVID-19 patients in France have been cured, the number of severe patients requiring intensive care has decreased continuously for 18 days now.
The UK also recorded its lowest daily increase in COVID-19 deaths in nearly four weeks as the government continued to resist calls to relax social distancing. The number of deaths from the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the past 24 hours rose by 413 to 20,732, the lowest daily figure in April, according to British officials.
Today, April 27, Spanish children are allowed to leave their homes for the first time in 6 weeks.
On April 26, Spain recorded the lowest number of deaths from the COVID-19 acute respiratory infection in more than a month. The Spanish Ministry of Health said the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the country as of April 26 was 23,190, an increase of 288 cases compared to the previous day. The total number of COVID-19 patients in Spain is now 207,634 cases, an increase of 1,729 cases compared to the previous day.
More than 80,000 COVID-19 patients in Russia
The Russian Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of the New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) said that as of noon on April 26, the country recorded 6,361 more cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in 83 federal subjects, bringing the total number of infected people to 80,949. In the past 24 hours, 517 people have recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 6,767 and 66 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 747.
Moscow is still the locality with the highest number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 in a day with 2,971 cases, bringing the total number of infected cases in the Russian capital to 42,480. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that during continuous testing from March to April 26 in the Russian armed forces, 874 soldiers tested positive for the SARS-CoV2 virus.
Italy to reopen schools in September
Regarding the relaxation of social distancing measures, on April 26, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the government will allow a large number of companies operating in a number of fields such as manufacturing, construction... to resume operations from May 4 as part of the plan to ease the lockdown, while schools will reopen in September.
Prime Minister Conte said these companies will have to implement maximum safety measures before being officially allowed to resume operations.
Tunisia develops new technology to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus
A group of university professors and engineering students in Tunisia have used artificial intelligence and X-rays to develop a tool to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Through chest X-rays, the tool will assess whether the person being scanned is likely to be infected with the virus or not. Although still in the process of being perfected, this online-based tool has initially shown positive results with an accuracy rate of up to 90%.
The tool, developed with support from the German Development Agency (GIZ), the Italian Society of Medical Radiology and the US technology group IMB, is currently being tested in several hospitals and COVID-19 treatment centers across Tunisia.
COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America is complicated
In Latin America, on April 26, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said the mandatory social isolation order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 epidemic in the country will continue to be extended until May 10, but some activities will be relaxed in localities with low risk of infection.
The Honduran Ministry of Security announced on the same day that due to the high number of cases and to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the government decided to extend the curfew until May 3. During the curfew, Hondurans are only allowed to leave their homes to buy essential goods on weekdays and between 9:00 and 17:00, based on the last number of their ID cards.
