Vietnam 18 days without community transmission
According to the update at 6:00 a.m. on May 4 from the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, in the past 12 hours, Vietnam had no new cases, and in the past 18 days, there had been no new cases of community transmission.
The total number of cases nationwide is currently 271, of which 219 have been cured. The total number of people in close contact and entering from epidemic areas under health monitoring (quarantine) is 27,409.
Citizens of many Asian countries return to normal life
In Asia, China has seen a surge in visitors to tourist areas after many travel restrictions were eased ahead of the five-day holiday (through May 5).
In Singapore, on May 2, the government announced that it would allow selected businesses to reopen from May 12, while Sri Lanka said the government and private sector could resume work from May 11 "to ensure people's lives return to normal" and to revive the economy.
On May 3, Thai authorities began allowing some shops and service businesses to reopen after a month of lockdown, as the Covid-19 epidemic showed signs of being controlled. Markets, restaurants, cafes, golf courses, hair salons... were allowed to reopen, but must strictly comply with disease prevention regulations. However, the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages will continue for another month.
The reopening of the Thai economy will be divided into four stages. Thai authorities are in no hurry and remain extremely vigilant about the risk of an outbreak.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on May 3 that the country will continue to relax social distancing measures starting May 6, allowing some businesses to reopen after being closed to deal with Covid-19.
According to Mr. Chung, the Government will allow businesses to restart production facilities in many stages, and will also allow people to gather and organize events, ensuring they comply with infection prevention guidelines.
Philippines suspends all passenger and commercial flights and repatriates citizens
The Philippines has temporarily suspended all passenger and commercial flights in and out of the country, starting at 8 a.m. on May 3. Cargo, medical supplies and maintenance flights remain unaffected, authorities said, in an effort to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
The number of Covid-19 infections in the Philippines has risen to 9,223, after the country's Ministry of Health confirmed 295 new cases on May 3.
On the same day, the Philippine government announced that it would suspend all repatriation flights for Filipino citizens for a week until the country’s crowded quarantine centers are cleared. Most of those who want to return are workers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Singapore and Qatar.
About 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.
Cancellation of the 10th Southeast Asian Para Games
According to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, the host country Philippines officially announced the cancellation of the 10th Southeast Asian Para Games (ASEAN Para Games 10) due to lack of funding due to 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 forced the host to postpone the event again to May or June 2020. After two postponements, the Philippines officially announced the cancellation of the 10th ASEAN Para Games.
France: Number of cases 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 3, 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 the number of people in intensive care due to Covid-19 has decreased.
France is preparing to ease social distancing measures. The country said that people arriving from European Union (EU) countries and the UK through open borders will not be quarantined. The rest will have to quarantine for two weeks.
France will keep the nationwide state of emergency until at least July 24.
Europe eases restrictions
After weeks of restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19, several European countries began easing their lockdowns on May 4. Most countries have made wearing masks mandatory 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 retail distribution will be allowed to operate from May 4.
Bars, restaurants and beauty salons are only allowed to offer takeout, with full reopening not until June 1. On May 18, all retail businesses, museums, cultural venues and libraries can reopen. However, schools will remain closed until September. Tourism remains restricted to the city of residence.
In Spain, the extremely strict lockdown was eased on April 26 with people allowed out for an hour to take children for a walk, while from May 2 those over 14 were allowed to play individual sports or walk outdoors but subject to strict conditions.
In Belgium, businesses that have been closed for a while are preparing to welcome employees back to work from May 4. Wearing masks is mandatory on public transport for people over 12. Outdoor sports activities such as tennis, golf or kayaking are allowed to resume.
Germany has allowed stores with an area of less than 800 m2reopened from April 20. On May 4, schools in this country will gradually resume operations. Hair salons, museums, religious sites, zoos, and amusement parks will also welcome visitors again.
Meanwhile, cultural venues, bars, restaurants - except for takeaways, playgrounds, sports fields - remain closed. Mass gatherings remain banned until at least August 31.
Austria has allowed some non-essential businesses to reopen. Large grocery stores, hairdressers and outdoor sports facilities (tennis, golf ...) reopened over the weekend. Travel restrictions have been lifted, gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed, with social distancing required. Final year high school students are expected to return to school on May 4, 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 4. Street-front shops with an area of up to 200 m2can reopen. Salons and beauty salons can also welcome customers by appointment. Some public services, such as tax advice centers, will reopen by appointment.
Brazil continues protests against social distancing
On May 3, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro continued to "attack" Congress and state governors in a speech outside the presidential palace in the capital Brazilia, in the presence of hundreds of supporters of the movement against social isolation orders.
According to Reuters, in a speech on May 3, the Brazilian leader criticized state governors for continuing to impose quarantine orders, which are damaging the economy and causing many people to lose their jobs. "[Brazil] will pay a heavy price in the future," Mr. Bolsonaro said.
President Trump affirms that the US will have a vaccine by the end of 2020
According to AFP, President Donald Trump revealed on May 3 that the US will have a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of this year. Speaking on Fox News, Mr. 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 push for schools and universities to reopen in September.
