temporarily suspend some activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Based on the conclusion of the City Steering Committee on Covid-19 prevention and control at the meeting on March 23, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee issued a directive: temporarily suspending the operation of entertainment areas, restaurants, beer clubs; food service establishments (with a capacity of 30 people or more); billiard clubs, gyms, beauty salons, hair salons... in the city. This request is applied from 6:00 p.m. on March 24 to March 31, 2020.
Warning: Taking anti-malarial drugs to treat Covid-19 on your own can be life-threatening
On March 23, the Drug Administration of Vietnam (Ministry of Health) issued a document warning people that buying drugs containing the active ingredient Chloroquin/Hydroxychloroquin on their own to treat or prevent Covid-19 could be life-threatening because the drug has some serious side effects.
These are prescription drugs that can only be used when prescribed, monitored and instructed by a physician to prevent or treat acute malaria, kill extraintestinal amoeba, treat rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, allergic reactions to light, etc. These drugs have not been approved by the Ministry of Health to treat Covid-19, so people should absolutely not buy, stockpile and use them to treat or prevent Covid-19.
Previously, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) received and treated a male patient around 40 years old who had taken about 15 anti-malaria pills according to information spread on Facebook.
51 UN staff worldwide infected with COVID-19
The spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Stephane Dujarric, said on March 24 that 51 UN staff around the world had received positive test results for Covid-19.
Mr. Stephane also said that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has decided to reduce his working hours at the UN headquarters in New York City (USA) and do part of his work from home.
India issues lockdown order for 1.3 billion people
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a nationwide lockdown, effective from midnight on March 25, for 21 days. The Indian government was forced to impose new, stricter measures after recording a rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases in recent days.
India currently has 536 positive cases of the virus and 10 deaths.
"To save India, to save every citizen, you, your family..., every street, every neighborhood will be under lockdown," Mr. Modi said. However, Prime Minister Modi also warned that if India does not "handle the 21-day lockdown well, our country will go back 21 years."
"This is a curfew. We will have to pay an economic price for this but it is everyone's responsibility," Mr. Modi affirmed.
Indonesia opens more field hospitals
On March 24, a representative of the Indonesian Ministry of State Enterprises (BUMN) said that the project to turn a sports village in the capital Jakarta into a hospital to treat Covid-19 will be duplicated in other provinces and cities across the country. BUMN will also cooperate with the Ministry of Religious Affairs to convert dormitories of Islamic educational institutions in some areas into field hospitals.
Previously, on March 23, BUMN completed the conversion of four apartment towers of the Wisma Atay Kemayoran sports village (Jakarta), which was used in the 2018 ASIAD, into a hospital to meet the demand for treating Covid-19 patients, which is expected to increase sharply in the coming days.
Scientists recently warned that Indonesia could record 71,000 Covid-19 cases by the end of April if the government does not take drastic measures to contain the spread of the disease.
The pandemic has spread to at least 22 of the country's 34 provinces.
On the same day, Malaysia discussed with the Chinese Government, asking Beijing to send medical experts to help the Southeast Asian country deal with the Covid-19 epidemic.
Singapore closes entertainment venues
Singapore said it will close all bars, cinemas and other entertainment venues from March 26 to April 30, as the island nation enters a new phase in its fight against Covid-19 with imported cases.
In addition, all Singapore residents returning from the UK and the US from March 25 will have to stay in designated hotels for 14 days of quarantine. Those who evade quarantine will be fined up to $10,000 or imprisoned up to six months, or both.
Cuba closes schools, quarantines foreign tourists
On March 24, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero announced that Cuban citizens will not be allowed to leave the country or travel between provinces and cities within the country, and announced the closure of schools at all levels nationwide until April 20.
With more than 32,000 tourists still in Cuba, the government said it would impose quarantine at hotels. In addition, more than 9,400 tourists currently staying in private homes (homestays) will be transported free of charge to hotels designated by local authorities.
To date, Cuba has recorded 48 cases of Covid-19 infection and 1 death, all of which were determined to have originated from abroad and were people in direct contact with the above subjects.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics officially postponed for a year
The 32nd edition of the world's biggest sporting event - the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic - International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound announced on March 24. Previously, the UK, Australia and Canada all said they would not send athletes to compete in Tokyo this summer due to concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic.
Wuhan will lift the blockade from April 8
According to a notice posted on the Hubei provincial government website, the lockdown in Wuhan will be lifted from April 8. The travel restrictions in other Hubei cities will also end from March 25. The lifting of these measures is aimed at restoring production and promoting social and economic development in Hubei province.
On March 24, China continued to record no new Covid-19 infections from domestic citizens.
Israel tests application to analyze patient's voice
On March 24, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that it is testing a research project that analyzes the voices of patients to detect symptoms of people who are positive for Covid-19. The project is currently being tested by Israeli startup Vocalis Health in collaboration with hospitals and universities to test the voices of positive patients through a mobile application.
The voice samples will be analyzed using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm to determine if the patient is infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which will affect the respiratory system and show signs of exhaustion. All of these factors will be reflected in the patient's voice and breathing.
Tal Wenderow, CEO of Vocalis Health, said the algorithm will be used for remote diagnosis and monitoring of patients, allowing Israeli hospitals to use the data to distinguish which patients need to be hospitalized or can be allowed to be examined at home.
The Israeli Defense Ministry said the app could help prevent the spread of the disease and ease the strain on the health system. The trial is expected to produce results within six weeks.
Several states in Germany have proposed accepting patients from Italy.
German media reported on March 24 that the governments of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria are planning to receive and treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients from Italy.
North Rhine-Westphalia state Premier Armin Laschet said the state plans to receive 10 patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus from northern Italy - the region most severely affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.
Mr. Laschet emphasized that through this action, the government of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen wants to send a message to the Italian people: "You are not alone. We will stand by you to overcome this difficult period."
Several other German states are also ready to accept Italian patients for treatment and the issue will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the German Council of Ministers.
Donald Trump warns lockdown could destroy country
In an effort to ease the lockdown measures currently in place in the US, US President Donald Trump warned on March 24 that this measure could destroy the country. "A lot of people agree with me. Our country is not built to be shut down," he told FOX News.
President Trump said he would evaluate next week whether to lift quarantine and social distancing measures to get the struggling US economy back on track, and he also wants US businesses to reopen by Easter, April 12.
Virus lingers on Diamond Princess for more than 17 days
On the same day, March 24, a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can survive on some surfaces much longer than previously thought.
Research published on the CDC website found that the virus that causes Covid-19 was found alive on surfaces on the Diamond Princess cruise ship up to 17 days after passengers disembarked. "SARS-CoV-2 was identified on multiple surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic passengers, up to 17 days after passengers disembarked the Diamond Princess."
However, the researchers said these data should not be used to determine whether transmission from contaminated surfaces has occurred.
Saudi Arabia's King to chair G20 summit on COVID-19
Saudi Arabia announced that King Salman will chair a special online conference with leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) leading developed and emerging economies on March 26 to promote global coordination in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last week, Saudi Arabia, which holds the G20 presidency this year, called for leaders to hold a video conference amid criticism that the group had been slow to respond to the global crisis.
Many G20 members agree that to face this unprecedented challenge, G20 member countries need to work together to share a positive and consistent message, support other countries, and contribute to global public health security.
Source: Government Information
