Two more Covid-19 patients in Vietnam have tested positive for Covid-19 again following their recovery, one in the northern province of Ninh Binh and the other from the central city of Danang.

Patient 543 from Ninh Binh was treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi after returning from Equatorial Guinea. Following their recovery, he was discharged from hospital and sent to be quarantined at a local hospital. He had a positive Covid-19 test result after the 14-day isolation process.

He is now in stable health and being medically monitored at Nho Quan District’s General Hospital.

This was the second Covid-19 reinfection case in Ninh Binh so far.

Meanwhile, on Friday morning, Danang reported the first recovered Covid-19 patient tested positive for Covid-19 again. The case is Patient 424, a nurse from Danang Hospital,

She was moved to Danang Lung and Respiratory Diseases Hospital for Covid-19 treatment on July 26 and released from hospital on August 10. She isolated herself at home afterwards.

On August 24, she had retested positive.

Vietnamese woman tests positive for Covid-19 in Japan

A woman from the northern province of Hai Duong tested positive for Covid-19 after flying from Hanoi to Tokyo this week, Japan Airlines reported.

The female passenger from Gia Loc District tested positive for the virus after she landed at Narita International Airport in Tokyo on Tuesday. Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi was informed of the results.

The positive result was shown through a rapid test as soon as she arrived at the Japanese airport. She was then quarantined straight away.

Seven staff members at Noi Bai International Airport have been identified to have come into close contact with her, consisting of four security guards and three ground service employees. They have all isolated themselves at home as regulated.

Several Vietnamese passengers also tested positive upon arrival in Japan.

Hung Vuong Hospital sends parents messages about infant patients' health

Hung Vuong Hospital in HCM City provides free information to parents about their newborns' health via phone messages every day as parents are not allowed to visit the children due to COVID-19 prevention measures.

Dr Hoang Thi Diem Tuyet, the hospital’s director, said the city Department of Health has instructed the hospital not to allow parents to visit the department for newborns.

“Because newborn babies are so young, close contact with them amid the COVID-19 pandemic raises the risk of infection. But the hospital understands parents wanting to know about their babies’ health, so it is providing information via phone messages,” Tuyet added.

For babies with severe disease, the hospital calls the parents to its counselling room where they can see the babies through images from a 360-degree camera.  

The hospital is providing a discount of 5 per cent for service costs for pregnant women who deliver from September 11 to December 31. The hospital estimates that nearly VNĐ5 billion (US$215,221) in costs will be saved. 

Vietnam presents medical equipment to Venezuela

At the ceremony in Caracas (Photo: VNA)

The Embassy of Vietnam in Venezuela on August 27 handed over medical equipment to the host country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with 20,000 face masks from the Vietnamese National Assembly to the Venezuelan counterpart.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Caracas, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Viet Duyen spoke highly of the thriving Vietnam-Venezuela relations over the past time and the sentiments of the NA, Government and people of Vietnam in sharing part of their resources to help the Government and people of Venezuela battle COVID-19.

Staff at the Vietnamese Embassy joined hands with relevant agencies in the two countries to airlift the aid to Caracas amid obstacles triggered by the cessation of international flights.

Representatives of the Venezuelan NA and Foreign Ministry voiced their gratitude to Vietnam for the support as the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc in the Venezuela and Latin America in general.

They also hoped that the bilateral relations will continue to flourish and obtain more achievements in keeping with the comprehensive partnership.

Mexican Labour Party leader lauds Vietnamese doctors’ efforts

General Secretary of the Mexican Labour Party (PT) Alberto Anaya Gutierrez visited the Ho Chi Minh Acupuncture Centre in Mexico City on August 27, during which he lauded contributions of Vietnamese doctors in providing health care services to Mexicans.

The PT leader also spoke highly of the working attitude of the centre’s doctors and staff who have worked closely with their Mexican colleagues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic for people’s health. He thanked the centre’s leaders for maintaining effective cooperation with the PT over the past 20 years, expressing his hope for further expansion of the ties.

The official extended greetings to Vietnam on the 75th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day, showing his admiration to the Communist Party of Vietnam and Vietnamese people for their success in national defence and construction, especially during the “doimoi” (renewal) cause.

He said that Vietnam’s success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic shows the solidarity of the Party and people of Vietnam as well as the capacity of Vietnamese doctors.

On behalf of the working team of Vietnam’s Central Hospital of Acupuncture, Dr. Ho Quang Minh thanked the PT leaders for his attention to the centre. He pledged to continue working hard in the spirit of the friendship between the two peoples.

COVID-19-hit students in Da Nang offered free goods

The chapter of the Vietnamese Students’ Association in the central city of Da Nang on August 27 launched an aid programme to help students of local colleges and universities hit by the COVID-19 pandemic to get daily necessities free of charge.

With 500 million VND (21,612 USD) mobilised from different sources, the “Sieu thi se chia 0 dong” (zero-VND supermarket for sharing purposes) programme offers essential supplies, medical products, and food. By presenting student cards, each student is allowed to take four products at maximum.

Head of the association Le Cong Hung said there are over 5,000 students stuck in Da Nang.

The programme aims to promptly cater to their demand for necessities so that they could stand side-by-side with the city in overcoming the current pandemic hardship, he added.

It is scheduled to take place from August 27 to 28 as well as from August 31 to September 1 at the Da Nang College of Economics Planning, the Da Nang Architecture University, and the University of Economics – The University of Da Nang.

Le Thi Hai Phong, a student of the Da Nang Architecture University, said her family is having financial difficulties and finds it hard to supply her, adding the programme makes her feel happy and more secure.

No new COVID-19 cases reported on August 28 morning, 12 in serious conditions

Vietnam’s total COVID-19 cases remained at 1,036 as of 6:00 on August 28 as no new infections were confirmed over the past 12 hours, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

A COVID-19 checkpoint (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam’s total COVID-19 cases remained at 1,036 as of 6:00 on August 28 as no new infections were confirmed over the past 12 hours, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Earlier, Vietnam reported two new COVID-19 infections as of 6pm on August 27.

One of them was an imported case who was sent to a concentrated quarantine facility in the south central province of Khanh Hoa upon arrival. The female patient returned home from Taiwan (China) on the VJ2849 flight of budget carrier Vietjet Air on August 7.

The other was a resident of the central city of Da Nang, the country’s largest outbreak. He had close contact with recently-detected COVID-19 patients.

Of the total COVID-19 cases in Vietnam, 688 were locally-transmitted ones. The number of infections linked to Da Nang city since July 25 has surged to 548.

Meanwhile, five patients were given the all-clear on August 27, lifting the recoveries to 636. The COVID-19 related fatalities have risen to 30.

Among those still under treatment, 41 have tested negative once for SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19, 52 twice and 51 three times.

As many as 70,916 people who had close contact with confirmed cases or arrived from pandemic-hit regions are under quarantine at present.

There are 12 patients who are in very serious conditions, nine of them very critical and three may die at any time.

PM orders accelerating visa grant to foreign experts, investors

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on August 27 asked ministries and agencies to closely monitor and accelerate granting of visas to foreign experts and investors.

At a meeting with representatives from a number of ministries, agencies and localities, the Government leader proposed resuming commercial flights to certain countries with high COVID-19 safety indexes, stressing the need to seek all possible ways to support the national economy.

He urged the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with the Ministry of Health in devising a plan on COVID-19 treatment fee collection.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to fly home Vietnamese stranded abroad, and bring foreign experts and investors to Vietnam in an appropriate and flexible manner.

Great efforts are needed to prevent the spread of the pandemic, and the widespread closures of businesses, as well as unemployment at the same time, the PM emphasised, suggesting extending the social welfare package.

If business and production would not be promoted and job issues would not be addressed, high unemployment rate is visible, causing social disorder, the leader warned.

He reiterated basic measures in the fight like wearing face masks in public places and avoid mass gatherings, while highlighting international cooperation in vaccine research.

The PM cited a survey conducted by the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education as saying that 97 percent of the respondents expressed their support for guidelines and measures adopted by the Government, the PM and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Phuc lauded efforts in dealing with outbreaks in 15 localities, including Da Nang, Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa and Quang Nam.

Pointing to the latest local transmission in the northern province of Ha Nam, he asked ministries and agencies, especially the health ministry, to stay vigilant during the combat.

COVID-19: Quarantined people must be tested twice, says Health Minister

The Ministry of Health has proposed that localities test those in concentrated quarantine facilities twice before releasing them into community.

Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long made the request on August 27, after a young man, while waiting for the second test results, left a concentrated quarantine camp in Hai Duong for Ha Noi and was later confirmed to have carried the virus. 

“Even those who have finished the 14-day quarantine period at concentrated facilities have to self-isolate at home for another 14 days to ensure they are safe from the virus,” Long told a meeting of permanent members of the Cabinet.

He affirmed the outbreak in Da Nang, Quang Nam, and Hai Duong has basically been put under control, but warned the risk of community transmission is imminent in hospitals, business establishments, schools and offices.

The acting minister therefore proposed the Government continue to remind people of preventive measures against the virus, including wearing masks in public places and frequently washing their hands with soap or sanitizer.

He also proposed that localities step up contact tracing and virus testing to early detect and quarantine suspected cases in order to prevent the virus spreading to a wider community. 

As of 18.00hrs, Vietnam has recorded a total of 1,036 COVID-19 patients, of whom 637 have recovered from the disease. Another coronavirus fatality was announced on August 27, raising the death toll caused by the disease to 30.  

Indonesia to provide free COVID-19 vaccines to people

Indonesia plans to provide COVID-19 vaccines to its people free of charge by 2021, Chairman of the COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery Committee Erick Thohir said on August 27.

Erick Thohir said there will be 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2020 obtained from the UAE’s G42 and China’s Sinovac.

He explained that the plan is to make free vaccines available to the public by utilising the state budget and using the national health care system (BPJS) data as the basis for vaccine administration.

To reduce the burden on the state budget, which is experiencing a widening deficit, he asked those who can afford it to pay for the vaccines independently.

He added that his committee is also continuing to prioritise the ongoing development of the Red and White vaccine./.

Ho Chi Minh City standing strong with Da Nang

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages around Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Da Nang, one of the country’s hardest-hit areas. Many companies have presented gifts to prevent the spread of the pandemic to doctors, soldiers, and people in Da Nang, in a spirit of fighting a war together.

This is one of the pioneering enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City exporting antibacterial fabric masks, supplying tens of millions to the market since the outbreak began. The company now prioritises domestic orders and has sent 10,000 antibacterial fabric masks to support Da Nang in the fight against COVID-19.

Responding to a call from the Vietnam News Agency, many businesses in Ho Chi Minh City and the city’s textile and apparel association joined hands to take on the virus. Such endeavours are small but significant.

Gifts from businesses in Ho Chi Minh City were well-received in Da Nang and delivered where needed thanks to help from the Vietnam News Agency Television division youth union. Tens of thousands of masks, medical gloves, and bottles and tubes of hand sanitiser provided great encouragement to doctors, soldiers, and people in Da Nang during these tough times.

Support from businesses, organisations, and individuals to Da Nang and the central region in general provides major encouragement to people to overcome the difficulties and dangers. It also contributes a great deal to beating the pandemic and ensuring no one is left behind.

Over 250 Vietnamese citizens brought home from RoK

More than 250 Vietnamese citizens were flown home from the Republic of Korea (RoK) on a flight of budget carrier Vietjet Air on August 27.

The flight was arranged by the Vietnamese authorities, the Embassy of Vietnam in the RoK and the carrier, together with relevant agencies of the RoK.

The passengers included children under 18, the elderly, pregnant women, the ill, labourers with expired labour contracts, students without accommodations and others in extremely disadvantaged circumstances.

The Vietnamese embassy sent its staff to assist them with boarding procedures at the airport.

Security, safety and hygiene measures were carried out throughout the flight to protect their health and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Upon landing at the Cam Ranh International Airport in the south central province of Khanh Hoa, those on board received health check-ups and were sent to concentrated quarantine facilities.

More flights are set to be conducted in the time ahead to repatriate Vietnamese citizens with disadvantaged circumstances, depending on their need and quarantine capacity at home.

Indonesia records highest daily number of COVID-19 cases on August 27

Indonesia records the highest daily number of COVID-19 cases on August 27 with 2,719 cases, bringing the country’s total count to 162,884.

The same day, 120 COVID-19 patients died, raising the total fatalities to 7,064.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Philippines had 3,249 new COVID-19 cases and 97 related deaths. The country’s total number of COVID-19 patients is now 205,518, the highest in Southeast Asia.

In Myanmar, the Government on August 27 ordered all schools to close amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases. The decision was welcomed by parents.

The pandemic returned early last week in Myanmar after one month without any new cases detected in community. Most of the latest patients are residents around Yangon. The country now has 586 cases and six related deaths.

Meanwhile, Cambodia has allowed public schools in four cities – Kratie, Stung Treng, Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri to re-open on September 7.

Cambodia had not detected any cases of COVID-19 for 12 consecutive days as of August 26. The country so far confirmed 273 cases, with 264 given the all clear. 

Cambodia sets up COVID-19 Health Insurance Coalition

The Cambodian Government has formed a COVID-19 Health Insurance Coalition charged with covering treatment costs for all foreign travellers who enter Cambodia amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Khmer Times.

Under-Secretary of State at the Finance Ministry Ros Seilava said that the Inter-Ministerial Commission for Combating COVID-19 has put forward health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and that foreign tourists are required to have health insurance which covers the disease.

Therefore, the Finance Ministry has collaborated with the Insurance Association of Cambodia, which comprises of eight insurance companies and the Cambodia Reinsurance company, to form an insurance consortium.

Insurers will provide COVID-19 health insurance for any client who tested positive for COVID-19 and they will be treated at a hospital designated by the Ministry of Health until fully recovered, Seilava said. The insurance company will be responsible for treatment costs, with cover up to 50,000 USD.

Cambodia had recorded no new infection cases for 12 consecutive days from August 15 to August 26./.