Russia surpasses Italy in the number of cases, New York gradually reopens.

Vietnam has gone 26 days without any community transmission cases.

As of the morning of May 12th, Vietnam recorded 288 cases of Covid-19, marking the 26th consecutive day without community transmission, with 249 patients having been declared recovered.

The remaining 39 patients are being treated at medical facilities nationwide. Of these, only 20 still test positive for SARS-CoV-2, while the other 19 have tested negative one or more times.

Interpol warns of counterfeit vaccines on the global market.

Interpol Secretary-General Jürgen Stock warned on May 11 that criminal organizations could exploit efforts to develop COVID-19 treatments to create a global wave of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Speaking to the German news agency DPA, Stock said that the illegal trade in counterfeit drugs will increase when a drug shows promise in treating or alleviating the disease. The same applies to counterfeit medical supplies, including masks and disinfectants.

France leaves open the possibility of reimposing lockdown measures.

On May 11th, French Health Minister Olivier Veran announced that if the rate of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection increases sharply again, the French government will "once again implement lockdown measures." France currently has 177,423 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 26,643 deaths. The risk of a resurgence of the epidemic remains very high, as the health agency of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France, a region classified as low-risk, has just confirmed two new outbreaks.

He announced a three-step recovery plan.

The British government announced a three-step recovery plan following the Covid-19 pandemic on May 11, which includes:

• Phase 1: Starting May 14th, people will be allowed to leave their homes for exercise or recreation with family members, and individuals may meet one person outside their home. People in England can drive to outdoor locations regardless of distance. Citizens who cannot work from home can go to work, but it is best not to use public transport;
• Phase 2: From June 1st, the UK will allow non-essential retail businesses to reopen if they adhere to social distancing guidelines. Some schools should prepare to reopen from June 1st;
• Phase 3: Depending on how the initial easing of restrictions affects infection rates, the UK government may allow more businesses to reopen in July, but no earlier than July 4th.

As of 6:00 AM on May 12th (Vietnam time), the UK had recorded 223,060 cases of Covid-19, including 32,065 deaths.

Spain recorded its lowest number of deaths in over seven weeks.

On May 11th, Spain recorded 123 deaths from Covid-19, the lowest number since March 19th, according to the Spanish Ministry of Health. The mortality rate was 0.7%, also the lowest daily death rate in seven weeks. This brings the total number of deaths to date to 26,744.

On the same day, Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Clavino stated that her country supports a common European response to assist the airline industry, which has been severely damaged by travel restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the disease. Clavino emphasized that all major airlines "are not just of one nationality" but are "European carriers." Therefore, EU member states need to ensure a "level playing field" for airlines, and wealthy nations should not provide further support to their national airlines, which could harm airlines from other countries.

To date, European countries have implemented various support plans for airlines. While the French Air France-KLM alliance received €7 billion ($7.6 billion) from the French government and €2.4 billion ($2.6 billion) from the Dutch government, International Consolidated Airlines (IAG), the parent company of British Airways (UK) and Iberia (Spain), only secured a €1 billion ($1.08 billion) loan from Spain.

Italy recorded fewer than 1,000 new cases for the second consecutive day.

According to data from the Italian Civil Protection Agency, only 744 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded on May 11th, bringing the total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections to 219,814. This is the lowest daily number of new cases since March 4th and the second consecutive day that the number of new cases has been below 1,000 in Italy.

According to the same agency, the number of deaths from Covid-19 in Italy has now reached 30,739 (an increase of 179), the third highest in the world after the US and the UK. In addition, the Southern European country also recorded 1,401 more patients recovering, bringing the total number of successfully treated cases to 106,587. The number of Covid-19 patients requiring intensive care in Italy has also decreased to below 1,000, with 999 cases (a decrease of 28 cases).

Russia ranks fourth in the world in the number of Covid-19 cases.

With 11,656 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours, Russia has surpassed Italy to become the fourth country in the world, after the US, Spain, and the UK, in terms of the number of Covid-19 cases. May 11th also saw the highest daily number of Covid-19 cases in Russia, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in the country to 221,344, including 2,009 deaths, as of 6:00 AM on May 12th (Vietnam time). More than half of the infections and deaths are concentrated in the capital Moscow, with 6,169 new cases and a total of 115,909 infections.

In a message to the Russian people on the afternoon of May 11, President Vladimir Putin announced that the period of paid leave due to the Covid-19 pandemic would end on May 12. However, quarantine regulations will continue for those over 65 years old. Putin stated that lifting quarantine regulations would not be quick and would need to happen gradually, while emphasizing the need to restore the economy and requesting the government to submit a nationwide action plan for economic recovery before June 1. According to him, the number of SARS-CoV-2 virus tests in Russia will almost double by mid-May, reaching 300,000 tests per day.

Many European countries are returning to normal economic activity.

On May 11, the Austrian government announced a €500 million ($541 million) support package for the food and beverage industry to boost consumption and alleviate the debt burden of restaurant and bar owners. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that food and beverage establishments could reopen on May 15.

On the same day, Bulgarian Health Minister Kiril Ananiev announced the reopening of cultural facilities and outdoor cultural events. Accordingly, indoor and outdoor museums, libraries, and galleries will be allowed to reopen, but must adhere to social distancing and COVID-19 prevention measures. Concerts and other outdoor cultural events are also permitted, but with audience sizes limited to 30% of maximum capacity and subject to COVID-19 prevention measures. Cinemas are also allowed to reopen with audiences limited to 30% of their capacity.

In Georgia, the government has lifted most of the economic restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Specifically, production and trade are allowed to resume, with the exception of large shopping malls and clothing retailers. The Georgian capital, Tbilisi, has also lifted the ban on vehicles entering and leaving the city, which had been in place since mid-April. The Georgian government announced that the country will open its doors to foreign tourists from July 1st, while domestic tourism will resume in mid-June. However, restaurants, cafes, and educational institutions remain closed at this time, and public transport has not yet resumed.

Türkiye will lock down major cities for four days.

On May 11, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he would order a lockdown of major cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, for four days starting May 16.

On the same day, shopping malls, barbershops, and hair salons in Türkiye were allowed to reopen. The Turkish government hopes that domestic tourism can reopen in June after the Eid holiday and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Türkiye has so far recorded 3,841 deaths due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and nearly 140,000 cases of Covid-19.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in the country, Ankara has imposed a 24-hour curfew on weekends in 31 cities nationwide.

New York is gradually reopening its economy.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on May 11th that three rural areas in the northern part of the state will be allowed to reopen this weekend. However, initially, only the construction, manufacturing, and retail sectors will be permitted to operate. This is the first concrete step taken by New York State officials in their quest for a cautious and safe reopening of economic activities.

To date, New York State has recorded 26,000 deaths from Covid-19. On May 11th, the state recorded its lowest number of Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours ever, at 161. This was also the first time the number of new deaths had fallen below 200 since the outbreak began there. On May 11th, the US continued to lead the world in both the number of Covid-19 cases, with 1,384,033 cases (an increase of 16,395 in the past 24 hours), and the number of deaths, with 81,703 cases (an increase of 916).

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence continues to test negative for SARS-CoV-2 while he remains in isolation after a staff member in the Vice President's office tested positive for the virus.

South America has not yet reached the peak of the pandemic.

The number of infections and deaths from the acute respiratory disease Covid-19 in South American countries continued to rise on May 11, indicating that the region has not yet reached the peak of the epidemic.

Brazil continues to be the epicenter of the pandemic in South America. As of 6:00 AM on May 12th (Vietnam time), the country recorded an additional 220 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 11,343 out of 166,162 confirmed cases, with a current mortality rate of 6.8%.

On May 11th, the Argentine government announced its decision to extend the mandatory social distancing order until at least May 24th to prevent the spread of Covid-19. According to official statistics, the Argentine Ministry of Health reported 6,034 Covid-19 cases, including 258 new infections in the past 24 hours, and 305 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Peruvian Ministry of Health announced that the country has so far detected 68,822 cases of infection, including 1,961 deaths. Due to the complex development of the epidemic, a nationwide lockdown and curfew in Peru have been imposed until May 24th.

In Chile, health officials confirmed 1,197 new cases and 11 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 30,063 and the death toll to 323. The Chilean government anticipates the Covid-19 outbreak will peak this month, and has therefore extended lockdown measures for at least another week in many areas surrounding the capital Santiago, which accounts for 70% of the country's infections.

In Ecuador, the number of infections in the past 24 hours has risen to 2,127, compared with an increase of 1,717 the previous day, bringing the total number of infections to 29,559. Authorities in the Dominican Republic have also confirmed a total of 10,634 infections and 393 deaths to date. The average age of those infected is 41, while the average age of those who died is 64.

In Colombia, Avianca, the world's second-oldest airline, announced it has filed for bankruptcy protection due to "unforeseeable impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic." According to the announcement, Avianca directly employs 21,000 people across South America. Nearly 90% of the countries where the airline operates are under complete or partial lockdowns.

India is considering lifting its lockdown.

On May 11, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he was considering lifting the nationwide lockdown, which has been in place for the past seven weeks to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, despite recording a record high of 4,214 new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 67,152, including 2,206 deaths.

Speaking at a virtual meeting with state chief ministers, Modi affirmed that the federal government would consider a "gradual lifting" of the lockdown, which has been extended three times until May 17.

South Korea begins paying out emergency relief funds to citizens.

On May 11th, the South Korean government began distributing emergency financial assistance to citizens to help them cope with the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Notably, the deadline for using the assistance is August 31st; after this date, any unused funds will automatically be forfeited. However, the South Korean government also restricted the use of this emergency assistance. Specifically, the money cannot be used for online payments, shopping at large malls, supermarkets, large electronics stores, bars, entertainment centers, public service fees, insurance, gift vouchers, gold, silver, transportation fees, or telecommunication fees.

On the same day, the Seoul metropolitan government also announced new COVID-19 prevention rules. Accordingly, starting May 13th, residents of the capital will be required to wear masks when using the subway during peak hours. South Korea currently has 10,936 confirmed cases and 258 deaths.

China reports 5 new infections in Wuhan.

The Hubei Provincial Health Commission in China announced on May 11 that Wuhan, the provincial capital and the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, had recorded five new cases, bringing the total number of new cases reported on May 11 to 17. Previously, on May 10, Hubei officials confirmed one new case in Wuhan, the first case there in over a month.

Wuhan is currently planning to conduct city-wide nucleic acid testing over a 10-day period.

The pandemic is showing positive developments in Southeast Asia.

In Southeast Asia, although the situation is improving, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, and other countries are still reporting many new cases. In the past 24 hours, Southeast Asia has seen an additional 1,087 new infections and 26 deaths, bringing the total number of infections and deaths in the region to 59,748 and 1,909 respectively.

In the Philippines, the Department of Health reported 292 new cases, bringing the total to 11,086. The Southeast Asian nation also recorded 7 additional deaths, raising the total to 726. Meanwhile, the Department of Health announced that 75 more patients had recovered and been discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of discharged patients in the Philippines to 1,999.

In Malaysia, the Ministry of Health reported 70 new cases, bringing the total to 6,726. The death toll in Malaysia rose by one to 109. Meanwhile, 88 more patients recovered and were discharged, raising the total number of recovered patients to 5,113, representing 76% of the total cases.

Singapore's Ministry of Health also announced 486 new cases, bringing the total number of cases in the island nation to 23,822. The daily number of cases was the lowest in a week, mainly due to a slowdown in testing as one of Singapore's laboratories was checking equipment after detecting 33 false positives.

Thailand announced the discovery of six new SARS-CoV-2 infections, bringing the total number of COVID-19 patients to 3,015. All new cases are in southern provinces of Thailand, including four cases on the tourist island of Phuket that were reported by provincial authorities on May 10th but were not included in the national total. No additional COVID-19 deaths were recorded in Thailand on May 11th. To date, Thailand has successfully treated 2,796 COVID-19 patients, but has also recorded 56 deaths from the disease.

Ha Le