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Nearly 340 Vietnamese citizens brought back from India.
On May 19th and 20th, 2020, Vietnamese authorities, Vietnamese representative offices in India, and Vietnam National Airlines coordinated with Indian authorities to safely repatriate nearly 340 Vietnamese citizens. All passengers were quarantined and underwent medical checks as required upon landing at Can Tho International Airport.
This morning, May 20th, the Ministry of Health announced that no new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours. The total number of patients remains at 324, with 164 having recovered. There have been no new community transmissions for the past 34 days.
Vietnam conducts second phase of COVID-19 vaccine trials.
According to Mr. Do Tuan Dat, Director of Vaccine and Biological Products Company No. 1, Ministry of Health, in a few days the research team for the Covid-19 vaccine will conduct the second round of trials. This round will involve injecting 30 mice to determine the most effective vaccine dose.
Previously, on April 26th, 50 mice were injected with this vaccine to assess its safety and effectiveness in generating immune antibodies. Now that its safety has been confirmed, the research team has taken blood samples from the injected mice to evaluate antibody production at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.
Nearly 5 million COVID-19 cases globally.
According to data from worldometers.info, as of the morning of May 20th, the world has recorded a total of 4,986,332 cases of Covid-19 infection, including 324,910 deaths and 1,958,496 recoveries.
The US remains the country with the highest number of infections in the world, with over 1.5 million cases, more than 93,000 deaths, and over 361,000 recoveries.
The number of COVID-19 cases in India has surpassed 100,000.
As of the morning of May 20th, India had recorded over 106,000 COVID-19 patients, including more than 3,300 deaths.
The number of cases in India has doubled and surpassed 100,000 in less than two weeks, as the country continues to ease restrictions during its fourth lockdown phase. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asserted that India successfully controlled the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic by promptly implementing a nationwide lockdown along with other public health measures.
Maharashtra continues to be the state most severely affected by the pandemic, with over 35,000 positive cases and 1,249 deaths. The capital, Delhi, has also recorded more than 10,000 Covid-19 patients.
Jakarta extends lockdown measures.
The Jakarta metropolitan government (Indonesia) has decided to extend social distancing measures until June 4th to prevent the spread of Covid-19. According to Jakarta Mayor Anies Baswedan, the reason for this decision is that during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, many people leave their homes at dusk and in the evening. He also suggested that this could be the final phase of social distancing measures if people strictly adhere to them.
Indonesia has the highest number of Covid-19 deaths in Southeast Asia.
Israel develops disinfectant that disrupts the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Israeli researchers have developed a smart, long-lasting disinfectant for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that can disrupt the virus's infection mechanism.
Specifically, the research team developed specific polymeric high-molecular-weight compounds against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, altering the virus's structure, function, and transmission mechanism, then attacking the virus's outer structure and destroying it.
According to Technion, this new technology offers long-lasting effectiveness, unlike current disinfectants. The cost of producing this new disinfectant is expected to be low due to the use of readily available and inexpensive materials.
The number of infections in Egypt continues to rise to record levels.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health announced on May 19th the detection of 720 new cases of the novel coronavirus, a record daily increase since the first case was detected in mid-February, bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases in the North African country to 13,484.
On the same day, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly issued a decree requiring citizens to wear face masks in public places and government offices starting May 30th. Those who violate this regulation will face fines of up to 4,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $255).
In addition, Egypt will continue to suspend international flights until further notice.
The capital of New York State reopens.
On May 19, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that Albany, the state capital, would officially reopen on May 20 after meeting seven criteria he had set.
Starting May 20th, Albany residents can gather in groups of up to 10 people during holidays, especially Memorial Day at the end of May.
Governor Cuomo also affirmed that as soon as the United States produces a COVID-19 vaccine, all citizens will have access to it, and that vaccines are not just for the wealthy.
Ecuador closes several embassies.
On May 19, the Ecuadorian government announced it would close several embassies and consulates, reduce the number of diplomatic staff in some countries, and eliminate some state-owned companies, amid a severe economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
Speaking on national television and radio, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno announced a reduction in diplomatic staff, including recalling ambassadors to several countries and international organizations such as Iran, Nicaragua, Malaysia, and the Parliament of the Andean Community, as well as closing consulates in Tapachula, Mexico, and Valencia, Venezuela. Prior to this, President Moreno's government had also closed diplomatic missions in Algeria, Nigeria, Belarus, Ethiopia, and Angola.
Along with that, President Moreno also decided to streamline the state apparatus by eliminating seven state-owned companies in the railway, telecommunications, and postal sectors.
Ecuador has recorded nearly 34,000 cases of Covid-19, including 2,800 deaths.
France requires its citizens returning home to self-isolate voluntarily.
On May 19, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that French citizens and residents returning to the country from outside the European Union (EU) would be required to self-isolate for two weeks.
This rule will not apply to foreigners who are not EU citizens because the Union's borders remain closed.
According to Foreign Minister Le Drian, the regulation came into effect on May 20th and is based on individual responsibility. Those returning to France can choose to self-isolate at home or elsewhere.
He also stated that at France's main airport, Charles-de-Gaulle, thermal imaging cameras have been installed to detect passengers with elevated body temperatures, such as fever, one of the symptoms of Covid-19.
Spain lifts suspension of flights from Italy.
On May 19, the Spanish government lifted the suspension, imposed two months earlier, on flights and sea transport of passengers, excluding cruise ships, from Italy to the country.
However, the decree requiring a mandatory 14-day quarantine, issued by Madrid last week, remains in effect for all foreigners arriving in Spain, including Italian passengers. In addition, Spain continues its ban on all cruise ships docking at its ports.
Germany and the V4 countries will soon lift border controls.
On May 19, the leaders of Germany and the four Visegrad countries (also known as the V4 Group, comprising the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland) agreed to gradually lift border controls as soon as the Covid-19 situation allows. The announcement came after a virtual meeting of chancellors between the V4 Group and Germany on the same day.
Speaking to reporters after the conference, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis emphasized that it would be ideal if the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, and Hungary all opened their borders on June 15. He also stated that Poland is not yet ready to open its borders at that time.
On the same day, the foreign ministers of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Austria held a virtual meeting. Accordingly, Slovakia plans to ease border controls with Austria and the Czech Republic by mid-June, after both neighboring countries indicated their readiness to reopen their borders from June 15th.
