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It has been exactly one week since Vietnam reported no new cases.
The Treatment Board - National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control announced that as of 6:00 AM on April 23rd, Vietnam had no new COVID-19 cases. Thus, it has been exactly one week since Vietnam last reported any new COVID-19 cases.
Nationwide, 223 COVID-19 patients have been declared recovered (accounting for 83%); currently, 45 patients are being treated at 8 medical facilities. Three cases have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, and eight cases have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 twice.
Vietnam provides assistance to 300 citizens returning from Japan.
On April 22, Vietnamese authorities, in coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and Vietnam National Airlines, transported medical supplies and equipment donated by the Vietnamese government and people to the Japanese government and people to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the return flight to Vietnam, authorities coordinated with Japanese authorities to assist in bringing nearly 300 Vietnamese citizens back home. These were individuals in particularly difficult circumstances, such as the sick, pregnant women, and some workers and students whose work and study permits had expired.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City ease lockdown restrictions from April 23, banning bar, massage, and karaoke services.
At the Government meeting on the afternoon of April 22, the Prime Minister directed that localities nationwide would be divided into two groups: high risk and low risk. Hanoi was classified as a high-risk area. However, two localities in Hanoi, Thuong Tin and Me Linh districts, where outbreaks have not yet passed 14 days and two villages (Ha Loi and Dong Cuu) are currently under quarantine, are still classified as high-risk areas.
Based on this, the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee decided: From 0:00 on April 23rd, economic activities will be gradually eased, but certain services such as bars, karaoke, massage parlors, electronic games, and large gatherings will remain prohibited. When restaurants reopen, they must arrange tables and chairs to maintain the required distance and, following the example of other countries, install partitions to prevent infection between two people sitting opposite each other. Shopping malls and supermarkets also need to strive to maintain distance, regularly check body temperature, provide hand sanitizer, and implement one-way entry and exit. Hanoi also decided to strictly prohibit the operation of tea stalls and sidewalk lemonade vendors due to the high risk of infection.
Along with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City ended social distancing from 0:00 on April 23rd. However, Ho Chi Minh City has not yet allowed many businesses to resume operations, including: amusement parks, entertainment venues, restaurants, bars, beer clubs, dine-in service establishments, beauty salons, billiard clubs, gyms, barbershops, etc. The Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Press Center stated that the city is awaiting a new directive from the Prime Minister and will provide specific guidance for each sector based on the infection risk assessment index developed by each department and agency.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport also announced that passenger transport services will continue to be temporarily suspended for fixed-route buses, taxis, contract vehicles, and tourist vehicles until further notice, except in special cases for official duties. Vehicles permitted to operate include those supplying food, essential goods, transporting workers and experts of businesses, transporting raw materials for production, and supporting the transportation of people to hospitals.
Da Nang has stopped quarantining people arriving from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The Da Nang People's Committee has just issued a document on the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures starting from April 23rd. Accordingly, Da Nang officially stopped quarantining people arriving from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from April 23rd, but must guide them to self-monitor their health and apply disease prevention and control measures as prescribed.
Some activities remain suspended, including: amusement parks, tourist areas and attractions; discos, karaoke, bars, pubs, festivals, cinemas, massage parlors, art performances, indoor entertainment, etc. Inner-city and inter-provincial bus routes between Da Nang and Quang Nam, and between Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue; electric tourist vehicles, and inland waterway passenger transport are also not yet permitted to resume operations.
Ha Giang province locks down Ta Kha village and isolates Thanh Thuy commune health station.
Regarding patient number 268, a Hmong ethnic minority resident of Pin Tung village, Pho La commune, Dong Van district, on April 22nd, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Giang province, Nguyen Van Son, directed the continued lockdown of Ta Kha village in Pho Bang town, Dong Van district. Implementing this directive decisively, Dong Van district decided to lock down the entire Dong Van town area to urgently implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures.
At the same time, the People's Committee of Vi Xuyen district decided to continue isolating the Thanh Thuy commune health station from April 22nd until further notice.
The number of infections in Singapore has surpassed 10,000.
On April 22, Singapore's Ministry of Health announced that, as of 12 PM that day, the country had recorded an additional 1,016 cases of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causing COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 10,141. This marks the third consecutive day that Singapore has recorded over 1,000 new cases, with the majority originating from housing areas for foreign workers.
Among the new cases reported on April 22nd, 15 were Singaporean citizens and long-term residents. The number of community infections in Singapore has been trending downward, averaging 28 cases per day over the past week compared to 39 cases per day the week before. However, the number of cases with unknown sources has slightly increased, from 19 cases per day the previous week to 22 cases per day this past week. Consequently, Singapore has decided to extend its social distancing measures for another four weeks, until June 1st.
Japan expands list of banned travelers, South Korea extends travel advisory.
The Japanese government has decided to expand the list of foreigners prohibited from entering the country. Accordingly, Japan will not grant entry permits to foreigners who have visited Russia, Belarus, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and several other countries within 14 days prior to arriving in Japan. Previously, Japan had banned entry to foreigners from 73 countries and territories. The Japanese government plans to extend these measures after they expire at the end of April.
On April 22, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to extend for another month the travel advisory issued on March 23, which advises citizens to "exercise special caution regarding travel" to all countries and territories worldwide. The advisory will automatically expire on May 23 unless the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides to extend it further.
South Korea conducts clinical trials of HCQ drug for COVID-19 treatment.
A team of researchers from Samsung Medical Center in Seoul and Pusan National University Hospital in Busan said they conducted Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) – a controversial antimalarial drug. During the PEP treatment, 32 people showed one or more symptoms, including diarrhea, skin rash, and gastrointestinal problems.
At the end of the 14-day quarantine, subsequent basic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on study participants were all negative, indicating that those receiving PEP therapy did not develop COVID-19. However, this does not mean that PEP "is highly effective in preventing COVID-19," as there was no proper control group and the study was conducted at only a single center.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the Middle East continues to rise.
On April 22, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health announced that the country had detected an additional 1,141 cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection causing COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 12,772. Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia is now 114, including 5 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.
On the same day, the Qatari Ministry of Health announced that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country had reached 7,141, including 608 newly detected cases. The majority of the newly detected SARS-CoV-2 infections were among foreign workers who had been quarantined after being found to have had direct contact with infected individuals.
The Turkish Health Minister also announced that in the past 24 hours, Türkiye recorded an additional 3,083 new infections, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 98,674. Turkey claims that COVID-19 is under control, with 37,535 people tested in the past 24 hours.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also reported 483 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 8,238. According to UAE authorities, the new cases are of various nationalities and all are receiving treatment and are in stable condition.
Europe has recorded over 1.1 million cases of Covid-19.
As of the evening of April 22nd, Europe had a total of 1,160,060 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with nearly 110,000 deaths.
Notably, Belgium has seen a resurgence in COVID-19 deaths. Specifically, Belgium has recorded a total of 6,262 deaths after reporting 266 new deaths in the past 24 hours. Despite the increase in deaths on April 22nd, Steven Van Gucht, spokesperson for the Belgian Crisis Response Center, affirmed that the country has passed the peak of the pandemic and that the increase in new deaths is due to delayed data from nursing homes. Belgium has extended its lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the disease until May 3rd.
In the Netherlands, the death toll has also surpassed 4,000 after the country announced 138 additional deaths on April 21. According to updates from the Dutch Institute for Public Health, the current number of infections is 34,842, an increase of 708 in the past 24 hours. The institute noted that the actual number may be higher as there may be untested cases.
On the same day, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab affirmed that by the end of April, the country would reach its goal of testing 100,000 suspected cases of the virus per day. Official figures on April 21 showed that the country had conducted 18,206 tests the day before. Currently, the UK has recorded over 129,000 infections and more than 17,300 deaths. Speaking before Parliament, Mr. Raab also stated that the country is beginning to move past the peak of the epidemic.
In the past 24 hours, the hotspot of the Russian Federation recorded an additional 5,236 cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 patients in the country to 57,999 (an increase of 9.9%). Particularly noteworthy, Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on April 22nd that the country recorded an additional 2,237 new cases, raising the total number of cases to 145,694. In the past 24 hours, the number of deaths in Germany increased by 281 to 4,879.
Italy is reporting over 3,000 new infections per day, with the total number of COVID-19 deaths exceeding 25,000.
On April 22, the Italian Civil Protection Agency announced that the country had recorded an additional 3,370 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 187,327. Of these, the number of deaths reached 25,085, an increase of 437.
On the same day, the Italian government announced that phase 2 of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic would begin on May 4th. During this phase, people will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing, ensuring safe distances while there is still no cure or vaccine for the disease. The reopening will be implemented uniformly across the country, but with consideration given to the specific characteristics of each region.
He began testing a COVID-19 vaccine on humans.
British health officials have announced that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University will begin human trials on April 23rd.
The Oxford University project – a joint venture between the Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group – has recruited healthy adults aged 18 to 55 for its clinical trials. The vaccine developed by the Oxford scientists is one of at least 70 potential vaccines being developed by researchers and biotechnology companies around the world.
The US continues to blame China for the spread of COVID-19.
On April 22, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that Washington is certain that China failed to promptly notify the World Health Organization (WHO) about the COVID-19 outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This has resulted in significant damage to the United States, with 848,994 infections and 47,676 deaths nationwide as of April 22.
A senior US Navy official said that 26 of its warships currently have cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, which causes COVID-19, while 14 other ships had previously been affected by the virus.
On the same day, US President Donald Trump pledged to help New York double its testing capacity to 40,000 SARS-CoV-2 tests per day. New York also showed positive signs, with the number of deaths in the past three days all below 500 and the number of hospitalizations continuously decreasing for the past nine days.
US President Donald Trump signs executive order restricting immigration.
On April 22, US President Donald Trump announced he had signed an executive order restricting immigration, temporarily halting the issuance of new green cards. This order ensures that unemployed Americans from all walks of life will receive top priority in job placement as the economy reopens. The order also guarantees healthcare resources for American patients.
According to previous information, this order is valid for 60 days and will most significantly affect those applying for permanent residency, or green cards, with the exception of those working in the healthcare industry. Additionally, seasonal workers will still be allowed to enter the United States.
