WHO: "The Covid-19 pandemic is accelerating"

Close down non-essential services, socialize quarantine facilities.

On the afternoon of March 23, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting of the Government Standing Committee on the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Accordingly, the next two weeks are crucial, so the Prime Minister emphasized that all levels, sectors, and the political system have made great efforts, "having already been decisive and thorough, they must be even more decisive and thorough, and must uphold a high sense of responsibility to the Party and the people."

The Prime Minister ordered the closure of non-essential services to minimize large gatherings; places of worship were instructed to avoid large crowds, and local authorities were urged to strictly enforce this rule.

Strict control is needed to prevent the spread of disease from outside; domestic flights and railways must also be inspected, and passenger buses need measures to prevent disease transmission.

At the same time, the Prime Minister agreed to expand social mobilization and voluntary contributions under centralized quarantine conditions. Priority will be given to accommodation facilities and hotels for paid quarantine for foreigners with diplomatic or official passports, and experts working on important projects in Vietnam.

Only 233 Vietnamese citizens arrived at Noi Bai Airport on March 23rd.

On March 23rd, Noi Bai Airport received only 233 passengers from 3 international flights instead of the 276 passengers previously announced by the airlines. All of them were Vietnamese citizens and were immediately taken to centralized quarantine facilities.

"Most Vietnamese people living abroad returned home a few days ago. The government has temporarily suspended entry for foreigners, so international airlines have also stopped operating flights due to the lack of passengers," a Noi Bai airport official said.

Earlier on March 22, Noi Bai Airport received 1,712 passengers, all Vietnamese citizens, arriving on international flights. All 1,727 passengers were taken to centralized quarantine facilities.

Stop bringing Vietnamese citizens from abroad back to Tan Son Nhat airport.

The Ministry of Transport has just requested the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to notify all airlines to stop carrying Vietnamese citizens from abroad to Tan Son Nhat Airport, from 0:00 on March 25th until the end of March 31st, 2020.

The reason is that on March 21, the Government Office issued a notice containing the Prime Minister's conclusion requesting: to continue to promptly and maximally restrict and space out passenger flights from abroad into Vietnam, including those operated by foreign airlines (as this could easily lead to overcrowding in quarantine facilities).

Following this directive, and because quarantine facilities in Ho Chi Minh City are no longer able to accommodate more people returning from abroad, the Ministry of Transport has instructed the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to implement the above regulation.

Syria detects its first case of infection.

According to the Syrian Health Minister on March 23, the first COVID-19 patient in the Middle Eastern country was a 20-year-old woman who had recently entered the country and showed no symptoms. "But because she came from an affected area, we had to quarantine her. Subsequent testing showed she was positive for the virus," Al-Yaziji added.

India suspends all domestic flights.

India's Civil Aviation Authority announced on March 23 that it will suspend all domestic commercial flights from midnight on March 25 in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19. Cargo flights are an exception.

Earlier, India also announced it would stop accepting all international flights to the country. According to India's Economic Times, to restrict travel, India also banned interstate railways and buses, as well as other public transport.

South Africa, the epicenter of Africa's pandemic, declares a national disaster.

The total number of infections in South Africa rose to 402 on March 23, making it the country with the most Covid-19 cases on the African continent. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had to declare a national disaster and implement strict measures such as travel bans to limit the spread of the disease.

Reuters reports that South African troops are preparing to be deployed to all provinces and cities across the country. The deployment could last up to three months if necessary.

The government directive also allows soldiers to arrest those who violate the government's anti-epidemic decrees.

More than 4,800 Italian doctors and nurses have been infected with COVID-19.

Figures released by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) on March 22nd show that more than 4,800 healthcare workers in the country have tested positive for the coronavirus while treating patients.

This figure represents approximately 8% of the total number of coronavirus infections in Italy. As of March 24th, the total number of infections in Italy was over 63,000, an 8% increase from March 23rd. This is the lowest percentage increase since the outbreak began rapidly in Italy on February 21st, according to the Italian Civil Protection Agency; the number of recoveries in Italy has risen from 7,024 to 7,432.

According to the Italian Doctors' Association, at least 18 doctors have lost their lives while treating COVID-19 patients, the majority of whom worked in Lombardy – the epicenter of the outbreak in Italy.

He decided to impose a complete lockdown.

The United Kingdom will be under lockdown from the evening of March 23 (local time). "From the evening of March 23, I have to give a very simple instruction to the British people: You must stay at home," Prime Minister Johnson said in a televised address, instead of just through his usual daily press conferences.

Prime Minister Johnson had initially opposed a nationwide lockdown, despite many other European countries having implemented similar measures. However, he eventually changed his mind, as current developments showed that the UK's healthcare system had become overwhelmed.

The lockdown order, aimed at preventing all non-essential travel by British citizens, will be in effect for at least three weeks. Police will break up gatherings and have the power to fine individuals who do not comply with the new regulations.

Russia uses smartphones to monitor suspected infected individuals.

On March 23, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin instructed relevant agencies to develop software within five days to track and monitor individuals at high risk of contracting the coronavirus in Russia.

Accordingly, citizens will receive notifications on their phones if they have been in close contact with an infected person. Regional disease control centers will also receive information about these cases. The Kremlin emphasized that the country's laws permit such a surveillance system to exist.

The US reported nearly 10,000 new infections in a single day.

As of the morning of March 24th, the number of infections in the US had increased by 9,883 cases, bringing the total to 43,449. The US is currently the country with the third highest number of infections in the world, after China and Italy.

Meanwhile, the governor of New Jersey announced plans to release "low-risk" prisoners still serving sentences in the state to limit the spread of Covid-19. This is also the first state in the US to take such action.

Lan Oanh