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Hue waives water bills for the poor.
On the afternoon of April 14th, Mr. Phan Ngoc Tho, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue province, issued a decision on waiving and reducing the price of clean water for domestic use in the area due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Accordingly, poor and near-poor households, centralized quarantine areas, and facilities providing examination, treatment, and care for Covid-19 patients are exempt from water usage fees. A 10% reduction in the price of clean water is also granted to individuals and households with clean water supply contracts with Thua Thien Hue Water Supply Joint Stock Company.
The exemption/reduction period is calculated for 3 months (April, May, June 2020). After June 30th, depending on the development of the epidemic, consideration will be given to continuing the exemption/reduction of clean water prices for domestic use.
Vietnam Airlines brings British citizens back home.
On April 13th, Vietnamese authorities, in coordination with the British Embassy in Hanoi, repatriated approximately 100 British citizens traveling in Vietnam and Cambodia on a flight operated by Vietnam National Airlines. Among them were several individuals who had contracted Covid-19 and had recovered in Vietnam.
This flight also transported a shipment of face masks, a gift from the Government and people of Vietnam to the Government and people of the United Kingdom.
Japan suggests using alcohol instead of hand sanitizer.
Japanese health officials say hospitals may use high-alcohol beverages for disinfection if hand sanitizer is unavailable. According to Japanese regulations, disinfectants must contain between 76.9% and 81.4% alcohol. Higher concentrations are ineffective and require dilution.
Some sake brewers have started making stronger sake to meet sterilization requirements.
Japan has not yet experienced a severe outbreak like the US or Europe, but the number of infections is still rising, especially in Tokyo, causing considerable concern.
Indonesia records a record number of deaths.
On April 14, Indonesia recorded its highest daily death toll with 60 cases, bringing the country's total death toll to 459. Indonesia also reported 282 new cases in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of COVID-19 patients in Indonesia to 4,839.
On the same day, Singapore recorded 334 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases to 3,252. Notably, most of the new cases were linked to outbreaks in dormitories and hostels for foreign workers.
Thailand extends ban on incoming flights.
On April 15, the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) announced the decision to extend the ban on incoming flights to the country until April 30, except for flights bringing Thai citizens back home and certain other flights serving the Covid-19 pandemic control efforts.
This is the third extension of the ban on incoming flights since the regulation was issued on April 3rd.
Thailand currently has 2,613 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
India extends nationwide lockdown until May 3rd.
In a speech on April 14, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the nationwide lockdown would be extended until May 3.
The lockdown in India, affecting the country's entire population of 1.3 billion, is the world's largest pandemic-related lockdown and was implemented from midnight on March 24th.
Pakistan extends lockdown for another two weeks.
The Pakistani Prime Minister announced an extension of the nationwide lockdown for another two weeks, but key industries will reopen in stages, with construction being the first.
Pakistan has been under lockdown for three weeks so far, recording over 5,700 infections and nearly 100 deaths.
The World Bank has warned that Pakistan's economy will fall into recession in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
With record death tolls, the US announces it will stop funding the WHO.
The number of deaths in the US rose by at least 2,228 on April 14, bringing the total to 26,047. This is a record single-day increase in deaths in the US, amid debates among government officials about how to reopen the economy while still preventing the spread of the virus.
The United States now has over 613,886 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
On the same day, President Trump announced that he had directed the US government to temporarily suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) related to its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, citing the organization's "failure to perform its basic duties and its responsibility to be held accountable."
Responding to Donald Trump's statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this "is not the time" to cut funding for the WHO. "This is a time for unity and for the global community to work together to stop the coronavirus and its consequences," Guterres added.
US: Saliva test to diagnose COVID-19.
On April 14, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of saliva tests for diagnosing COVID-19 in emergency situations.
Rutgers University, which is conducting the tests along with several other research groups, said it has received FDA authorization to use the new test. This testing method will help healthcare professionals avoid the risk of infection when taking samples from the throat.
Europe eases lockdown restrictions.
Authorities in several countries, including Austria, Denmark, and Italy, have begun easing restrictions, allowing some workers to return to their jobs to revive economies that have been "frozen" by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Austria, after nearly a month of lockdown, restrictions began to be lifted by authorities starting April 14th. Non-essential shops with an area of less than 400 square meters are now allowed to operate.2They are allowed to reopen. Shopping malls, hair salons, and large department stores will also resume normal operations from May 1st.
In Denmark, schools will resume normal operations from April 15th. People are required to wear masks in public places, and the ban on gatherings of more than 10 people will remain in place.
In Italy, considered the epicenter of the outbreak in Europe, bookstores, children's clothing shops, and laundromats have reopened. This decision was described by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte as "a difficult but necessary one."
Although Spain still has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Europe, health officials believe the country has passed the peak of the pandemic. Lockdown measures, imposed since last month, are therefore gradually being eased.
Today, nearly 300,000 Spaniards working in construction sites and factories began returning to work. Non-essential shops, restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues remain closed.
He pledged to conduct testing in nursing homes.
On April 14, the British government pledged to test all healthcare workers and elderly residents with Covid-19 symptoms in nursing homes across the country, after official data showed that the number of coronavirus deaths was much higher when including elderly people in these facilities.
The daily death toll data released by the UK Department of Health only counts deaths in hospitals and does not include deaths in the community, such as in nursing homes, according to Reuters.
Canada builds shelters for the homeless.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is designing a 400-bed shelter for the homeless in Toronto. According to Reuters, 30 homeless people in Toronto have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 so far, including 11 at a refugee shelter. Canada's total death toll currently stands at 823.
