32nd day without community infections
According to information updated at 6:00 a.m. on May 18 by the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, in the past 12 hours, Vietnam recorded no new cases.
The total number of cases is currently 320, of which 180 imported cases were immediately quarantined, and 260 patients were declared cured/discharged from hospital. There are currently 60 patients being treated at 10 central and provincial medical facilities, most of whom are in stable health, of which 12 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 twice or more.
More than 4.8 million infections worldwide
According to the statistics page worldometers.info, as of about 8:00 a.m. on May 18, the world has recorded a total of 4,801,510 cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, including 316,658 deaths and 1,858,170 recoveries.
The epidemic has now spread to 213 countries and territories worldwide.
The US remains the epicenter of the pandemic with 1,527,664 cases and 90,978 deaths. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, in the past 24 hours, the US recorded 820 more deaths. This is the lowest daily death toll since May 10 (776 deaths).
In Africa, in the past 24 hours, South Africa recorded the highest number of infections in a day ever with 1,160 cases, bringing the total number of infections in this country to 15,515 cases. The number of deaths increased by 3 cases to 263 cases.
Thailand bans international flights until end of June
Thailand has extended its ban on foreign commercial flights for another month, until June 30, to prevent the spread of the disease, the Department of Civil Aviation announced on its official website on May 16.
Accordingly, no passenger flights of international origin are allowed to land at domestic airports until June 30, except for government and military flights for emergency landings or humanitarian medical aid. In addition, relief and repatriation flights and cargo planes are also allowed to land.
Egypt has a record number of new infections
The Egyptian Ministry of Health announced on May 17 that it had recorded 510 new cases of Covid-19, marking the highest daily increase since the first case was detected in mid-February, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 12,229.
222 patients in Egypt have been discharged from hospital, bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,172.
Earlier, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the country would apply stricter measures to contain the epidemic, including extending the night curfew during the upcoming Eid El-Fitr holiday.
Indonesia tests herbal medicine Quinine to treat COVID-19
One of the treatments being tested in Indonesia is quinine, a capsule made from the bark of the cinchona tree that was once used to treat malaria. Quinine is now rarely used after pharmaceutical companies developed the synthetic drug chloroquine, according to Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro.
The Jakarta Globe reported that the Indonesian government is also ordering other drugs that are considered promising by several countries, such as Avigan, Hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir. According to Mr. Bambang, the country is also conducting clinical trials on various treatments that have been applied in other countries.
Qatar jails people for not wearing masks
Since May 17, Qatar has begun implementing regulations requiring the wearing of face masks in public places, along with penalties for violators, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic spreading rapidly in the country.
Violators will face up to three years in prison and a fine of 200,000 Rials (50,900 euros), the world's harshest penalty for not complying with the requirement to wear a mask in public during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently, about 50 countries in the world have issued regulations requiring the wearing of masks in public places.
Russia has the second highest number of infections in the world
On May 16, Russia recorded 9,200 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, bringing the total number of infections in this country to more than 281,752 cases, ranking second in the world after the US in terms of the number of infections.
The Russian government is currently expanding Covid-19 testing, with nearly 6 million people tested so far.
Director of the Russian Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Ginsburg said that it is likely that the country can start producing a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus by the end of summer this year.
France will reopen maximum tourist attractions
The French government said on May 17 that it will reopen "a maximum of tourist sites" on June 21 to restart the summer tourist season.
The French are now enjoying their first weekend after two months of lockdown – in forests and beaches that have been reopened, while the authorities are still urging caution to avoid a resurgence of the virus. Health Minister Olivier Véran reminded in a video posted on Twitter on May 17 that vigilance must continue, because “the virus continues to spread in the territory”.
Since May 11, the day the lockdown was lifted, health authorities have discovered 25 new outbreaks.
Canada allows clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on May 16 that the country's authorities had approved the first clinical trial of a Covid-19 vaccine called Ad5-nCoV. This is a product developed in collaboration with a Chinese biological company. The Canadian leader stated that if the trial is successful, Canada can produce and distribute the Covid-19 vaccine domestically. "Research and development takes time, but this is encouraging news," Mr. Trudeau emphasized.
Health Canada has so far authorized clinical trials for 33 treatments or care for Covid-19 patients.
Protests against travel restrictions in Europe
Euronews reported on May 17 that police in many European countries had to intervene and arrest a series of groups of protesters against travel restrictions, which were established to combat the spread of Covid-19.
The crackdowns have been most pronounced in the UK, Poland, France and Germany. Protesters say they are being deprived of their freedoms, that social distancing is not the solution and blame the government for the conspiracy theory.
The European Union (EU) has been pushing to reopen internal borders and restart tourism, but recommends that external borders remain closed until at least mid-June to avoid the risk of a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
With large "epidemic hotbeds" like Spain, the UK, and France, this bloc still recommends that governments continue to allow people to socially distance and provide appropriate benefits, avoiding protests that disrupt and hinder efforts to prevent the spread.
62 countries support independent investigation into the origin of the Corona virus
PageNews.com.auAustralia and the European Union (EU) have won the support of a total of 62 countries for an independent investigation into the origin of the novel coronavirus, despite China's criticism that this is a dangerous "blame game" that could lead to a trade war.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's call for an investigation into the coronavirus is expected to receive strong support at the World Health Assembly (WHA) - the annual meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) taking place from May 18-19.
Speaking on the evening of May 17, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne emphasized that the purpose of investigating the origin of the Corona virus is to coordinate to equip the international community with the ability to better prevent the next pandemic and protect the safety of everyone.
