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Two more cases have recovered, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam to 96%.
On the morning of June 10th, the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases announced that two more COVID-19 patients, BN290 and BN319, had recovered. To date, Vietnam has recorded 332 cases of COVID-19; of which 319 have recovered (96%), 9 cases remain positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and there have been no deaths.
In addition, Patient 91 – the British pilot being treated at Cho Ray Hospital – continues to show remarkable positive progress. He is conscious, responsive, and his mobility has improved significantly; his hands can perform fine motor skills such as typing on a keyboard and sitting up. His lungs are gradually recovering, requiring only low-concentration oxygen. To date, Patient 91 has undergone 84 days of treatment and was taken off ECMO on the morning of June 3rd.
Two more COVID-19 test kits from Vietnam have been put into circulation in Europe.
On the afternoon of June 5th, Vietnam officially announced that two more SARS-CoV-2 virus detection kits have been licensed for widespread use in Europe and are included in the World Health Organization's (WHO) emergency use list, including a rapid test kit that takes only 30 minutes. These are the One-step RT-PCR COVID-19 kit Thai Duong and the RT-Lamp COVID-19 Kit Thai Duong, jointly produced by Sao Thai Duong Joint Stock Company.
This is a success resulting from a research project to develop a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic kit by two groups of scientists in Vietnam from the National Institute for Vaccine and Biological Products Testing and the Hanoi University of Science and Technology.
Vietnam resumes flights to destinations with 30 days of no new infections.
At the Government's Standing Committee meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control on the morning of June 9th, the Prime Minister discussed reopening international commercial flights and instructed the Steering Committee to announce safe zones to reopen air routes to areas where no COVID-19 cases have been detected in the past 30 days.
Furthermore, for Vietnamese businesspeople, students, and the elderly who wish to return home but are unable to do so, the Prime Minister has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish specific criteria and open registration channels for citizens, including Vietnamese and foreign experts.
Thailand is preparing steps to restart its tourism industry.
The Thai government is considering easing entry restrictions for foreign visitors, possibly in the third or fourth quarter of 2020, with priority given to those from areas free of Covid-19.
Local media reported on June 9th that Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak stated that easing restrictions on tourists visiting Thailand is the first step towards restarting the tourism industry, but the government must be cautious in screening visitors and implementing an effective contact tracing system to reduce the risk of a second wave of infections.
South Korea has recorded more than 50 new COVID-19 cases.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced that as of the morning of June 10th, South Korea had detected 50 new cases (43 of which were community transmissions), bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases nationwide to 11,902.
According to the KCDC, recent new infections are mainly linked to religious activities, sports centers, and entertainment venues in Seoul and its surrounding areas. The KCDC believes that infections tend to occur in places where preventative measures are difficult to implement, such as cramped dorm rooms, small construction sites, or early morning markets.
India surpasses Italy to become the world's sixth-largest epicenter of the pandemic.
India has surpassed Italy, once the epicenter of the European outbreak, in its total number of Covid-19 cases. Specifically, according to data released by the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the country recorded its highest number of new cases ever with 9,887 on June 6th. As of the morning of June 10th, the total number of infections nationwide had reached 275,413, with 7,719 deaths.
With these figures, India currently ranks 6th in the world in the number of cases, behind only the US, Brazil, Russia, Spain, and the UK. Despite imposing a strict nationwide lockdown for over two months, the number of Covid-19 cases in India continues to rise, and the pandemic shows no signs of peaking. India is now gradually reopening its economy and allowing the resumption of many social activities.
Italy and Spain are calling on the EU to open its borders simultaneously.
On June 6th, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, proposing that European Union (EU) member states cooperate to reopen borders and restart the tourism industry, which has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated: “The removal of border restrictions within the EU must be done on a coordinated basis, based on common and transparent criteria.” The two leaders also wanted to dispel the notion that some countries are still “affected” by the pandemic and demonstrated that European citizens can now travel safely to Italy and Spain.
Spanish medical team wins prestigious award.
Spanish healthcare workers have won the prestigious Princess of Asturias award, considered the Nobel Prize of the Spanish-speaking community.
The judging panel praised the "spirit of sacrifice" of the country's healthcare workers on the front lines of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, making them symbols in the fight against the disease in Spain, one of the countries most severely affected by the pandemic.
Germany extends travel warning for more than 160 countries.
On June 9th, Germany announced that its government plans to extend travel warnings for more than 160 countries outside the European Union (EU) until August 31st due to concerns about the risk of COVID-19 infection. This plan has received agreement from both the Foreign and Interior Ministries. However, the German government will also consider lifting travel warnings earlier for some countries with low COVID-19 infection rates.
Earlier, on June 3, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced that the German government would lift travel warnings for EU member states along with the UK, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland from June 15, provided these countries did not impose entry bans or widespread lockdowns.
France opens Eiffel Tower to the public.
On June 9th, the company that operates the Eiffel Tower, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Paris, announced that it will reopen to the public on June 25th. The site has been closed for approximately three months due to lockdown measures aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the longest closure of the Eiffel Tower since World War II.
According to the plan, after reopening, the site will initially only accept a limited number of visitors and will require all visitors aged 11 and above to wear masks.
The UK imposes mandatory quarantine on all incoming travelers.
Since June 8th, the UK government has required most people entering the country to self-isolate for two weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This regulation applies to both British citizens and foreigners to prevent a second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections from overseas.
However, the airline and hotel industries do not support this quarantine regulation, as it would result in the loss of almost all business opportunities this summer. In a joint statement, three airlines – British Airways, EasyJet, and Ryanair – argued that this move by the government is "inappropriate and unfair to British citizens and foreign visitors entering the UK."
Russia plans to launch its tourist season in early July.
On June 8th, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced preparations for the opening of the tourist season in the country. He emphasized that despite the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism remains one of the most promising sectors of the Russian economy. He stated that tourism has high potential and, in the current circumstances, plays a strategic role in the Russian economy.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, in charge of tourism development, said Russia plans to launch a tourism season between regions starting July 1st. It is expected that hotels will reopen in approximately 50% of regions in the coming weeks, while authorities plan to support those legally employed in the private sector serving tourists.
New York partially reopened after two and a half months of lockdown.
On June 8th, New York City officially reopened in part, exactly 100 days after the first positive case of SARS-CoV-2 was detected there. Approximately 400,000 workers returned to work at 32,000 construction sites, not including manufacturing companies and retail stores.
New York City has returned to its usual bustling atmosphere, much like before the pandemic. The only difference is that New York must now adapt to entirely new circumstances: stores and workplaces are stockpiling large quantities of masks and gloves. New York City was the last area of the state to reopen after meeting seven criteria set by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Several other areas of New York State have moved on to Phase 2 of their reopening roadmap.
Cuba declares it has successfully controlled the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez declared that the Covid-19 pandemic is now "under control" in Cuba, after more than a week without any new deaths.
The Cuban leader affirmed that the above results were the fruit of a policy of decisive implementation and strict adherence to preventive measures and social distancing, and the efforts of medical staff and scientists who had timely research that helped reduce the death rate from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
