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Vietnam has gone 17 days without detecting any new community-transmitted COVID-19 cases.
On the morning of May 3rd, the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control announced that there were no new Covid-19 infections. As of today, Vietnam has gone 17 days without detecting any new community-transmitted Covid-19 cases.
The total number of infections to date remains at 270, of which 217 have recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Of the 53 cases still under treatment (including 14 cases who tested positive again after discharge), 9 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 two or more times, and 12 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once.
The total number of people in close contact and those entering from epidemic areas who are being monitored for their health is 30,517, of which 244 cases are in centralized quarantine at hospitals.
Nearly 300 Vietnamese citizens have returned home safely from the UAE.
On May 2-3, Vietnamese authorities, the Vietnamese Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Vietnam National Airlines coordinated with UAE authorities to organize a flight bringing nearly 300 Vietnamese citizens safely back home. Those repatriated included children and students under 18, the elderly, the sick, tourists and those visiting relatives whose visas had expired and were stranded in the host country, and workers whose contracts had been terminated or who had been on unpaid leave for several months.
With the goal of ensuring the health of citizens and preventing the spread of disease, Vietnam Airlines has strictly implemented security, safety, and epidemiological hygiene measures throughout the flight. Immediately after landing at Can Tho International Airport, those on the flight underwent medical monitoring and centralized quarantine in accordance with regulations.
Vietnam begins initial trials of a Covid-19 vaccine on mice.
Dr. Do Tuan Dat, Chairman of VABIOTECH, said: "From the moment Vietnam recorded its first cases of Covid-19, the company's scientists collaborated with the University of Bristol (UK) to research a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus based on viral vector technology. The research successfully created a strain carrying the specific antigenic region of this virus. Vietnamese scientists have conducted trials on mice, evaluating its ability to generate antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus."
Dr. Dat also added that next week, blood samples from the laboratory mice will be sent to the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for evaluation of their immunogenicity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. After that, the Covid-19 vaccine will continue to be researched to develop a production process and undergo animal testing to further assess its safety and immunogenicity.
Europe is gradually easing lockdown restrictions.
Runners, cyclists, and surfers across Spain are allowed to leave their homes, and adults are permitted to exercise for the first time in seven weeks as the government begins to ease strict Covid-19 restrictions. Spain currently leads Europe in the number of infections, with a total of 245,567 cases and 25,100 deaths.
Spanish children were allowed to play outdoors for the first time after 48 days of lockdown.
Austrians also flocked to newly reopened hair salons, beauty parlors, and electronics stores after a period of closure due to the seven-week lockdown.
In Italy, the Ministry of Education has announced the closure of primary and secondary schools until September, but is planning to reopen kindergens and organize small-scale summer programs from June onwards to allow children to play after two months of strict lockdown. With 209,328 cases and 28,710 deaths, Italy ranks second in Europe in the number of infections, but first in the number of deaths.
The UK could allow primary schools to reopen as early as June 1st. According to the Telegraph, many predict Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce London's new roadmap for the immediate future next week. The death toll from Covid-19 in the UK rose by 621 to 28,131 as of May 2nd, the second highest in Europe.
As of 8:50 AM GMT on May 2nd (3:50 PM same day in Vietnam time), Europe had recorded over 1.5 million Covid-19 infections, accounting for nearly half of the total number of infections globally, making it the continent most severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
France and Russia are on alert for the risk of an outbreak.
While many countries are beginning to ease and gradually lift restrictions aimed at curbing the Covid-19 pandemic, some countries, such as France and Russia, have decided to extend lockdowns. French Health Minister Olivier Veran announced on May 2nd that the government has agreed to extend the nationwide state of health emergency, declared in March, until July 24th to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Travelers to France, including returning French citizens, will face a mandatory two-week quarantine to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As of the evening of May 2nd, the number of deaths from Covid-19 in France had reached 24,760 (an increase of 166 in 24 hours).
France extends state of emergency for another two months.
In the past 24 hours alone, Russia reported 9,623 new cases of Covid-19, the highest daily increase to date, bringing the total number of infections to 124,054, mostly in the capital Moscow with 5,358 new cases. The total number of deaths nationwide is now 1,222, up 53 from the previous day. Moscow Mayor Serge Sobyanin said the city has doubled the capacity of its testing centers and increased antibody testing tenfold in the past week. Moscow is considering setting up field hospitals in sports complexes and shopping malls to cope with the surge in Covid-19 patients.
France supports Vietnam and four ASEAN countries in combating the pandemic.
The French Development Agency (AFD) has provided a support package worth €2 million (US$2.19 million) for COVID-19 prevention and control efforts to several ASEAN countries.
According to a joint statement released on the afternoon of May 1st, the AFD's financial support package will be allocated to five ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines, to strengthen surveillance, diagnosis, and reinforce the response system to the Covid-19 pandemic in these countries.
With this aid, AFD hopes that laboratories in the five countries will strengthen their capacity during the Covid-19 pandemic response, such as acquiring additional equipment, SARS-CoV-2 virus testing kits, and protective gear for healthcare workers.
Germany is stepping up research into a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
On May 2nd, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, which the European Union (EU) is planning to roll out, will be available globally.
Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU leaders had called for a fundraising campaign worth €7.5 billion (approximately $8.3 billion) to fund research and development of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. However, according to Merkel, this amount is still insufficient.
In a statement, the German leader emphasized that Berlin would take responsibility and contribute a significant amount of funding to the development of vaccines, medicines, and the best diagnostic options for everyone in the world.
New York Governor opposes early reopening.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on May 2nd that he opposes calls for an early reopening. Cuomo asserted that although people are suffering from unemployment, this is necessary to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
About half of the US is gradually reopening its economy this week. Against this backdrop, Governor Cuomo said he needs more information about the pandemic situation before easing restrictions. New York State is the hardest-hit area in the US by the Covid-19 pandemic. As of May 2nd, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in New York State was 299, an increase of 10 from the previous day, with most of these deaths occurring in New York City. To date, New York has conducted over 15,000 antibody tests, of which 12.3% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Official figures released on April 30th showed that 30 million Americans had filed for unemployment benefits since March 21st.
Currently, Texas and Georgia are leading the way in allowing some businesses to reopen after prolonged closures due to the pandemic. Leaders in these states and some other areas less affected by the pandemic are facing pressure from the public.
As of May 3rd, the number of infections in the US was 1,160,774, with approximately 67,444 deaths.
The EU is providing Guatemala with 70,000 test kits.
On May 2nd, the Guatemalan government announced that the European Union (EU) would provide the country with 70,000 test kits to detect the coronavirus. To date, the pandemic has claimed 16 lives out of 644 confirmed cases in Guatemala.
Since mid-April, Guatemalan health authorities have begun testing 500 samples per day at four laboratories nationwide, compared to nearly three months prior to that, when only 100 to 200 patients were tested daily. Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei ordered a nationwide halt to all work activities on March 16 to combat the pandemic and imposed a curfew six days later to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Brazil could be the new epicenter of the pandemic in the Americas and the world.
The Americas continue to be heavily impacted by the pandemic. Canada announced on May 2nd that the number of COVID-19 cases increased from 53,657 to 55,572, while the number of deaths rose from 3,223 to 3,446. Panama recorded an additional 230 infections on May 2nd, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 7,090 and the number of deaths to 192 to 197. Mexico's Ministry of Health announced an additional 1,349 infections and 89 deaths on May 2nd. Thus, Mexico now has 22,088 infections and 2,061 deaths due to COVID-19.
Brazil could become the new epicenter of the pandemic.
Brazil's Ministry of Health reported 4,970 new infections and 421 new deaths on May 2nd. Brazil's total number of COVID-19 cases now stands at 95,559, with 6,750 deaths.
Amidst the ongoing and complex pandemic, disagreements between Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and state governments regarding the response to Covid-19 are exacerbating the situation and threatening to turn Brazil into a new global epicenter in the coming weeks.
Over 100 Indian police officers test positive for SARS-CoV-2.
On May 2nd, 122 police officers from the 31st Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) stationed in Mayur Vihar, east of Delhi, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The test results for 112 of the 480 officers tested at the facility are still pending. The officers at the Mayur Vihar facility were tested after one assistant inspector and 46 others tested positive. The primary source of infection within the battalion is believed to be a nursing staff member who returned to duty on April 7th after leave, and the CRPF medical department only required a 5-day quarantine instead of the 14-day period recommended by the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
As of May 2nd, India had recorded 37,336 cases of Covid-19, including 1,218 deaths. The capital Delhi was one of the hardest-hit areas with 3,738 cases, including 61 deaths.
India has ordered all public and private sector employees to use a government-backed contact tracing app and ensure social distancing in workplaces as the country begins to ease some lockdown measures in districts less affected by Covid-19.
Harbin becomes the second Wuhan.
Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, technical director of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Emergency Health Situations Programme, congratulated Wuhan, the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak in China, for having no severe cases of the novel coronavirus. Dr. Kerkhove also praised local residents for their strict adherence to lockdown and quarantine measures for nearly three months, which successfully contained the outbreak.
Meanwhile, Harbin, a city of 10 million people in northeastern China, decided to close all restaurants starting May 2nd. The city is struggling with the epidemic as it has become a major cluster of cases, while many other provinces and cities in China have eased or lifted restrictions. This closure aims to curb the spread of the disease in the region.
From March 24th, Harbin banned large gatherings in public places and set up quarantine checkpoints at the airport and train station.
Today, May 3rd, China's National Health Commission (NHC) announced that the country recorded 2 new COVID-19 cases on May 2nd, an increase of 1 case compared to the previous day. Of these 2 cases, 1 was imported and 1 was a community transmission case. According to the NHC, on May 2nd, China also recorded 12 asymptomatic cases, a decrease of 8 cases compared to the previous day. The total number of COVID-19 cases in China to date is 82,877, with 4,633 deaths.
Japan launches online Covid-19 reporting system.
The Japanese Ministry of Health announced it will launch an online COVID-19 reporting system on May 10th and roll it out nationwide on May 17th to alleviate the burden on medical centers struggling to cope with the outbreak. The Japanese government plans to extend the state of emergency for approximately one month to prevent a potential resurgence of the virus. Currently, 14,571 people in Japan have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, with 474 deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia is developing in two directions.
Singaporean authorities have indicated that the country will begin easing some restrictions in the coming weeks. As of the morning of May 3rd, Singapore had recorded 17,548 cases of Covid-19 with 17 deaths. Recent new infections have primarily originated from dormitories housing migrant workers.
Malaysian authorities are defending plans to ease lockdown measures next week even as new infections have surged to their highest level in two weeks. Malaysia now has 103 deaths out of a total of 6,176 COVID-19 cases. According to the Director-General of the Malaysian National Police, the country has begun placing illegal immigrants in centralized detention facilities to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
As of the morning of May 3rd, Thailand recorded only 6 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection and no new deaths. Thailand currently has 54 deaths and 2,966 confirmed cases of Covid-19. With fewer than 10 new cases for six consecutive days, Thailand allowed some businesses and public parks to reopen on May 3rd.
The Philippine president declared that those who cause riots during the Covid-19 pandemic will be shot dead.
The Philippines reported 156 new coronavirus infections and 24 deaths. The total number of cases has reached 8,928 and the death toll is 603. Forty people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,124.
Meanwhile, Indonesia reported an additional 292 infections and 31 deaths. The country remains at the top of Southeast Asia with 10,843 infections and 831 deaths from the coronavirus. Indonesia has conducted widespread testing on more than 79,800 people, and 1,665 have recovered.
The Middle East risks becoming a hotbed of infection.
Yemen, one of the world's most vulnerable countries, reported three new Covid-19 cases late on May 2nd, two in Taiz province and one in Aden city, bringing the total number of diagnosed cases to 10, including two deaths.
Turkey reported 78 more deaths from Covid-19, bringing the total number of fatalities to 3,336. The Ministry of Health also recorded an increase of 1,983 new infections, bringing the total to 124,375.
A spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Health announced on May 2nd that the country had recorded 65 additional COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 6,156. The total number of infections in Iran has reached 96,448, with 2,787 in critical condition. Iran is currently the most severely affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East.
Men and obese people are at higher risk of dying from the coronavirus.
New research from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Liverpool, and Imperial College London, based on data from 17,000 Covid-19 patients in 166 hospitals across England between April 6-18, shows that men and obesity are significant factors linked to Covid-19 deaths in UK hospitals. This trend is less pronounced in China, where only 6.6% of adults were obese in 2016, compared to 29% in the UK in 2017.
The study was published on medRxiv.org and has not yet undergone peer review.
