The number of deaths in many countries at the epicenter of the outbreak has decreased; for the second consecutive Monday morning, Vietnam reported no new infections.

Vietnam continues to report no new cases of infection.

According to the Ministry of Health's bulletin released at 6:00 AM on April 6th, this is the second consecutive morning that Vietnam has not recorded any new Covid-19 cases.

To date, the total number of cases remains at 241 (150 imported cases; 91 secondary infections, including 61 cases from domestic outbreaks). On April 5th, only one new case was recorded nationwide.

Also on April 5th, a foreign patient being treated at Quang Nam Central General Hospital was declared recovered, bringing the total number of recovered/discharged cases in Vietnam to 91.

Vietnam Airlines limits the number of passengers per flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

In compliance with the requirements of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority, from April 6-15, 2020, Vietnam Airlines limited the number of passengers on flights to Ho Chi Minh City: no more than 180 passengers on Boeing 787 or Airbus A350 aircraft and no more than 120 passengers on Airbus A321 aircraft.

The regulations were introduced to ensure that the number of passengers arriving at Tan Son Nhat Airport remains within the city's capacity for receiving and testing for Covid-19.

The number of new infections in South Korea over the past three weeks has been high.

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the country recorded only 47 new cases on April 5th – the lowest number in over three weeks. Previously, the number of new infections in South Korea typically hovered around 100.

The total number of infections in South Korea to date is 10,284, with 183 deaths. On April 5th, the government decided to extend the social distancing measures until April 19th.

Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines report hundreds more cases.

On April 5th, Singapore's Ministry of Health confirmed 120 new cases of Covid-19, the highest daily number of new cases to date and a sharp increase from the 75 cases reported on April 4th.

On the same day, the Malaysian Ministry of Health announced that it had recorded 179 new cases of coronavirus infection in the country, bringing the total number of infections to 3,662, including 61 deaths. Of the new cases, 37 were linked to individuals returning from Italy.

In the Philippines, the number of infections has risen to 3,246 after 152 new cases were reported. The total number of deaths has also increased to 152, the highest in Southeast Asia.

Tokyo is considering turning the Olympic Village into a field hospital.

On April 4, Tokyo Mayor Yuriko Koike said she was considering converting a portion of the 15,000-bed Olympic Village into a field hospital to treat COVID-19 patients while it remains vacant due to the postponement of the Olympics.

According to Ms. Koike, this is just one option for dealing with the epidemic. The government is also considering buying an entire hotel and converting it into a treatment hospital.

Japan plans to declare a state of emergency.

On April 6, a Japanese government official said that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intends to declare a state of emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, amid a rapid increase in infections in Tokyo and many other major cities across Japan.

The aforementioned declaration, based on a recently amended law, will empower local authorities to instruct people to stay home and order the closure of schools and other establishments.

Poor people in India receive free COVID-19 screening and treatment.

On April 5th, The Hindu reported that India had decided to provide free testing and treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who are covered by the Ayushman Bharat health program for the poor.

According to a decision made by the Indian government on the same day, more than 500 million people currently benefiting from the Ayushman Bharat health program will be able to receive testing and treatment, including at private hospitals, with timely and standardized medical care.

The number of deaths decreased across the board in France, Italy, and Spain.

According to the French Health Minister, on April 5th, the number of deaths from Covid-19 in France decreased within 24 hours. Specifically, France recorded 357 deaths in hospitals, lower than the 441 deaths reported the previous day.

On the same day, France reported 748 new coronavirus cases requiring hospitalization. The total number of infections in France now stands at 92,839.

Spain, the country hardest hit by the pandemic, reported 674 deaths from Covid-19 on April 5th, a decrease from the previous three days.

Italy recorded the lowest number of deaths from Covid-19 in over two weeks, and the number of people in intensive care also decreased for two consecutive days.

On April 5th, Italy reported 525 deaths from Covid-19, marking the third consecutive day of declining fatalities. The number of new infections also fell to 4,316 cases.

Italy currently has 128,948 confirmed cases and 15,887 deaths.

With over 5,936 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours (lower than the 6,082 and 6,174 cases of the previous two days), the number of new infections in Germany decreased for the third consecutive day. However, the number of deaths increased by 184 to a total of 1,342, according to the Robert Koch Institute.

Norway sends medical team to support Italy in fighting the epidemic.

The Norwegian government announced on April 5th that it will send a team of medical and logistical personnel to the Lombardy region of Italy to assist in the fight against the epidemic, after Lombardy health authorities requested international assistance on March 31st. This operation is expected to last four weeks.

The Norwegian support team consists of 20-25 doctors, nurses, and support and logistics personnel who have had similar work experience during the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the measles outbreak in Samoa in recent years.

Norwegian Health Minister Bent Hoeie affirmed that "solidarity in Europe is not just talk and now needs to be demonstrated in practice." Notably, Norway is not currently a member of the European Union.

The US has stockpiled approximately 29 million doses of malaria medication to treat COVID-19.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. has a reserve of approximately 29 million doses of Hydroxychloroquine (an anti-malarial drug) to treat patients with Covid-19. He went on to praise the drug and assert its effectiveness. He also expressed hope that the U.S. would de-escalate the crisis caused by the pandemic in some of the country's hotspots.

New York State is currently the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, but on April 5th, for the first time in a week, the number of deaths from Covid-19 decreased slightly compared to the previous day. Even so, the state still recorded 600 deaths and over 7,300 new infections.

Some South American countries predict a worsening situation.

On April 5th, Brazil reported 1,166 new coronavirus infections and 41 deaths. Brazil has now recorded a total of 11,130 positive cases of the novel coronavirus and 486 deaths.

Brazil's Ministry of Health has warned that the capital Brasilia and the states of Ceara, Amazonas, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo could transition from community transmission to an uncontrolled outbreak, as these regions are experiencing even higher infection rates.

According to Reuters, Mexico's Ministry of Health predicts that the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths will continue to rise in the coming days, and the peak of the pandemic in Mexico will occur in late April and early May.

Panama's Ministry of Health reported 187 new coronavirus infections in the country on April 5, bringing the total number of cases to 1,988.

Lan Oanh