VI
EN
No new infections reported in the past 24 hours.
On the morning of April 9th, the Ministry of Health announced that no new Covid-19 cases were recorded. This also marks the first time in a month that Vietnam has reported no new infections in a 24-hour period.
The current number of Covid-19 cases is 251. Of these, 126 have been declared recovered and discharged from the hospital. It is expected that today, the Can Gio Covid-19 treatment hospital will announce the recovery of two more patients, patient 203 and patient 234, both of whom were diagnosed after returning from abroad.
Donald Trump thanks Vietnam for 450,000 protective suits.
Early on April 9th, US President Donald J. Trump announced on his Twitter account that he had received the first shipment of over 450,000 protective suits manufactured in Vietnam.
"This morning, 450,000 protective suits landed in Dallas, Texas. This happened thanks to the cooperation of two major American companies, DuPont and FedEx, and our friends in Vietnam. Thank you!" - President Trump tweeted.
China unexpectedly locks down a border city.
According to SCMP, Chinese authorities on April 8th sealed off the city of Suifenhe in Heilongjiang province after a surge in Covid-19 cases, all of whom were returnees from Russia. Twenty-five people were found to be infected with Covid-19 after returning from Vladivostok, Russia.
Authorities in Suifenhe also said that 86 other people returning from Russia have been identified as suspected cases and are being placed under medical surveillance.
Foreigners stranded in Thailand will have their visas automatically extended.
The Thai government has approved a proposal to automatically extend visas for all foreigners who legally entered the country and are stranded due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly, all those who arrived in Thailand before the ban on foreign entry will no longer need to visit visa extension centers as usual. Those in this category whose visas have expired will have them extended until April 30th.
In addition, the Bangkok metropolitan government (Thailand) launched a home testing campaign for suspected cases of Covid-19, as the country recorded 2,369 cases (as of April 8).
Bangkok has the highest number of infections in Thailand.
Many Indian states have mandated the wearing of face masks.
Many states and major cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai, with hundreds of millions of inhabitants, have mandated the wearing of face masks when leaving home, according to AFP.
In New Delhi, authorities require people to wear quality face masks when going out, including while in cars, at work, or in offices. The masks used must be three-layered or cloth masks. India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, and the cities of Mumbai, Thane, and Pune in Maharashtra have also implemented similar regulations.
Outbreak in a foreign worker dormitory in Singapore.
Singapore's Ministry of Health announced on April 8th that it had recorded 142 new cases on the same day – the highest increase since the outbreak began in the country, bringing the total number of infections to 1,623. Of the new cases on April 8th, 40 were linked to a housing complex for foreign workers, the Ministry of Health added.
In Malaysia, health officials reported on April 8th that the country had recorded 156 new coronavirus infections and two deaths in the past 24 hours.
The Philippines will test 10,000 samples per day.
On April 8, the Philippine Department of Health reported 106 new cases of coronavirus infection and 5 new deaths. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country is now 3,870, with 96 deaths. The Philippines said it will test approximately 10,000 COVID-19 samples per day for the next three months.
According to the Phil Star, authorities in the Philippines are converting the national stadium into a quarantine facility and will put it into operation next week. This makeshift quarantine facility can be gradually expanded to accommodate 2,000 patients simultaneously.
Indonesia restricts activities in the capital Jakarta.
Starting April 10th, Indonesia's capital Jakarta banned gatherings of more than five people, reduced service capacity by 50%, and restricted the operating hours of public transport from 6 am to 6 pm daily. Meanwhile, private vehicles were still allowed to enter and exit the capital area, but the number of people per vehicle was limited.
The Indonesian Ministry of Health reported 218 new coronavirus infections and 19 new deaths on April 8. The total number of coronavirus cases in Indonesia is now 2,956, and the total number of deaths is 240.
With a record number of deaths, flags are flown at half-mast throughout New York.
New York recorded 779 additional deaths from the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours on April 8th, marking the highest daily death toll in the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States. The total number of deaths in New York State as of April 8th reached 6,298, prompting Governor Cuomo to order flags to be flown at half-mast throughout the state.
Earlier, Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed concern about the fact that the death rate among the Hispanic and African American communities was twice as high as that of white Americans – highlighting the disparity in economic conditions and access to healthcare between these groups. Mayor de Blasio affirmed that the city would strive to provide more support to public hospitals so that the poor have access to treatment when infected with SARS-CoV-2.
The US blocks exports of medical equipment.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on April 8th that they will seize all exports of critical personal protective equipment amid the escalating COVID-19 outbreak in the country. Following the seizure, FEMA will review which items will be retained for domestic use and which will be permitted for export. FEMA's export seizure and inspection regulations will be in effect from April 10th to August 10th.
The statement was made after Donald Trump activated the Defense Production Act.
Meanwhile, the US is also allowing pharmacies to conduct Covid-19 testing, according to AFP. Health Secretary Alex Azar said the move would allow pharmacies to play a larger role in the fight against the pandemic alongside healthcare workers. The tests permitted will include antibody tests to determine whether a person has recovered from the disease.
With a surge in infections, South Africa is stepping up testing.
The South African Ministry of Health announced on April 8th that the country recorded 96 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections in Africa's most developed nation to 1,845. This is also the highest daily number of cases since South Africa began its nationwide lockdown on March 27th.
To date, South Africa has conducted SARS-CoV-2 tests on 63,776 people. The country expects to increase its testing capacity from approximately 5,000 people per day to 15,000 people per day by mid-April and 30,000 per day by the end of April.
Russia records a record number of new infections in a single day.
According to Reuters on April 8, Russia recorded 1,175 new coronavirus infections, a record number in a single day. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country is now 8,672.
This is the second consecutive day that Russia has reported more than 1,000 new infections.
In Germany, over the past 24 hours, the number of coronavirus infections has increased by 4,003, and the number of deaths has risen by 254.
UK: Death toll continues to rise to record highs, Prime Minister's health is stable.
The number of coronavirus deaths in the UK continued to rise to a record high on April 8th with 938 cases, bringing the total number of deaths from the coronavirus in the country to 7,097. The number of confirmed cases in the country is currently recorded at 60,733.
On the same day, the British Finance Minister said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was still in the intensive care unit (ICU), but "is getting better and is able to sit up in bed".
France extends lockdown.
France will extend its nationwide lockdown until April 15th. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said that the lockdown measures are helping to contain the spread of the virus and that it is not yet time to lift the restrictions.
In another development, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle had to halt its mission in the North Sea and return home after approximately 40 suspected cases of Covid-19 were detected on board. A team of infectious disease experts from the French military medical corps was deployed to the ship to check the health of the 1,760 crew members.
Funeral homes in Sweden are severely overloaded.
According to RT, hospitals in the Swedish cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm have recently been forced to rent ice rinks and refrigerated containers as temporary morgues, amid the overwhelming demand for funeral homes due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the same time, in the city of Solna, the Karolinska University Hospital decided to repurpose the cold storage room in the canteen to hold corpses.
Claes Ruth (Karolinska University Laboratory) said the current situation is "critical," as the number of deaths exceeds the morgue's storage capacity.
This overcrowding is occurring in all hospitals across Sweden.
The European Commission is urging Schengen countries to extend travel restrictions.
On April 8, the European Commission (EC) urged European Union (EU) member states to maintain travel restrictions within the Schengen area until at least May 15 to slow the spread of the pandemic.
According to Margaritis Schinas, European Commissioner for Improving Living Standards, all Schengen member states must implement effective social distancing measures to limit community interaction and slow the spread of the virus.
In addition, the EU also needs to restrict non-essential travel from third countries to support these efforts.
