VI
EN
Vietnam has gone 18 days without any community transmission cases.
According to the update at 6:00 AM on May 4th from the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, Vietnam has not recorded any new cases in the past 12 hours, and there have been no new cases of community transmission in the past 18 days.
The total number of cases nationwide is currently 271, of which 219 have recovered. The total number of people in close contact and those entering from epidemic areas who are being monitored for their health (quarantined) is 27,409.
Citizens of many Asian countries return to normal life.
In Asia, China has seen a surge in tourist numbers to its resorts after many travel restrictions were eased ahead of the five-day holiday (ending May 5th).
In Singapore, on May 2nd, the government announced it would allow businesses to choose when to reopen starting May 12th, while Sri Lanka stated that its government and private sector could resume work from May 11th "to ensure people's lives return to normal" and to revive the economy.
On May 3rd, Thai authorities began allowing some shops and service businesses to reopen after a month-long lockdown, as the Covid-19 pandemic showed signs of being under control. Markets, restaurants, cafes, golf courses, barbershops, and other establishments were permitted to reopen, but must strictly adhere to disease prevention regulations. However, the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages will remain in effect for another month.
The reopening of the Thai economy will be divided into four phases. Thai officials are not rushing and remain highly vigilant against the risk of a resurgence of the disease.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced on May 3 that the country will continue to ease social distancing measures, starting May 6, including allowing some businesses to reopen after being closed to combat Covid-19.
According to Mr. Chung, the government will allow businesses to restart production facilities in stages, and will also allow people to gather and hold events, provided they comply with infection prevention guidelines.
The Philippines has suspended all passenger, commercial, and repatriation flights for its citizens.
The Philippines has temporarily suspended all passenger and commercial flights to and from the country, effective 8 a.m. on May 3. Cargo flights, medical supplies, and maintenance flights remain unaffected. Authorities said this is an effort to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
The number of Covid-19 cases in the Philippines has risen to 9,223, after the Ministry of Health confirmed 295 new cases on May 3.
On the same day, the Philippine government announced it would suspend all repatriation flights for Filipino citizens for one week until overcrowded quarantine centers across the country are cleared. The majority of those wishing to return are migrant workers employed in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Singapore, and Qatar.
Approximately 24,000 Filipino workers have been repatriated and are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine at government-run quarantine centers. However, these centers are now overloaded, forcing the government to temporarily suspend repatriation efforts.
The 10th Southeast Asian Para Games have been cancelled.
According to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, host country Philippines officially announced the cancellation of the 10th Southeast Asian Para Games (ASEAN Para Games 10) due to a lack of funding under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Previously, the Philippines had postponed the ASEAN Para Games from January 2020 to March 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic caused the host country to further postpone the event to May or June 2020. After two postponements, the Philippines officially announced the cancellation of the 10th ASEAN Para Games.
France: Number of patients currently being treated in hospitals decreases.
In France, according to the Ministry of Health, the number of people infected with the new coronavirus increased by 135 on May 3rd, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,895. The Ministry also confirmed the good news that the number of people being treated in hospitals and in intensive care units due to Covid-19 has decreased.
France is preparing to ease social distancing measures. The country has stated that those arriving in France from European Union (EU) countries and the United Kingdom via open borders will not be required to quarantine. All other individuals will be required to quarantine for two weeks.
France will maintain the nationwide state of emergency until at least July 24th.
Europe eases restrictions.
After weeks of implementing restrictions to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 respiratory disease, several European countries began easing lockdowns on May 4th. Most countries still require the wearing of face masks when using public transport.
In Italy, people can visit family and meet relatives in limited numbers. Parks will reopen but social distancing measures will remain in place. Manufacturing, construction, and distribution to retailers are permitted to resume operations from May 4th.
Bars, restaurants, and beauty salons are only allowed to sell takeout, with a full reopening not scheduled for June 1st. On May 18th, all retail businesses, museums, cultural venues, and libraries were allowed to reopen. However, schools will remain closed until September. Tourism is another sector that continues to be restricted to the city of residence.
In Spain, the extremely strict lockdown was eased on April 26th, allowing people to go out for an hour to take their children for a walk, and from May 2nd, those over 14 years old were allowed to play individual sports or go for walks outdoors, but had to adhere to strict conditions.
In Belgium, businesses that have been closed are preparing to welcome employees back to work from May 4th. Wearing face masks has become mandatory on public transport for those over 12 years old. Outdoor sports activities such as tennis, golf, or kayaking are allowed to resume.
Germany has allowed shops with an area of less than 800 square meters to open.2Schools in the country will reopen from April 20th. On May 4th, schools will gradually resume operations. Hair salons, museums, religious sites, zoos, and amusement parks will also be allowed to reopen.
Meanwhile, cultural venues, bars, restaurants – except for takeout – amusement parks, and sports arenas remain closed. Large gatherings remain prohibited until at least August 31st.
Austria has allowed the reopening of some non-essential businesses. Large food stores, hair salons, and outdoor sports facilities (tennis, golf, etc.) reopened last weekend. Travel restrictions have been lifted, and gatherings are permitted for a maximum of 10 people, with social distancing required. Final-year high school students are expected to return to school on May 4th, followed by other grades. Restaurants are expected to reopen in mid-May.
Portugal has decided to allow bookstores and car dealerships to reopen from May 4th. These are permitted to be street-front shops with an area of up to 200 square meters.2They may reopen. Beauty salons and spas may also be open by appointment. Some public services, such as tax advisory centers, will reopen by appointment.
Brazil continues to protest against social distancing measures.
On May 3rd, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro continued his attacks on Congress and state governors in a speech outside the presidential palace in the capital, Brasilia, in front of hundreds of supporters of the anti-social distancing movement.
According to Reuters, in a speech on May 3, the Brazilian leader criticized state governors for continuing to impose lockdowns, which are damaging the economy and causing many people to lose their jobs. "[Brazil] will pay a heavy price in the future," Bolsonaro said.
President Trump asserted that the US would have a vaccine by the end of 2020.
According to AFP, President Donald Trump revealed on May 3rd that the US will have a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this year. Speaking on Fox News, Trump affirmed: "We are very confident that we will have a vaccine by the end of this year."
The US president also said he would urge the reopening of schools and universities in September.
