The 43-year-old British pilot is the only foreign Covid-19 patient in Vietnam who is still undergoing treatment – PHOTO: VNA

Some 49 of the 50 foreign Covid-19 patients in Vietnam have recovered and the cost of treatment for each of them ranged from VND20 million to roughly VND700 million, the Ministry of Health announced today, June 8.

Among the nine Covid-19 patients who made a complete recovery yesterday was a British national, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper. The only foreign patient still undergoing treatment is a British pilot, who was identified as the 91st case.

The highest cost of treatment incurred by a foreign patient who has recovered was VND698 million at Hue Central Hospital.

The 26th patient, a British national, paid VND538 million for treatment, while another foreign patient who was hospitalized on March 11 and discharged on April 3 spent VND598 million.

Treatment costs for foreign Covid-19 patients at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases ranged from VND20 million to VND45 million.

According to the Ministry of Health, insurance companies pay the treatment costs of most foreign Covid-19 patients.

In the case of the 91st patient, an insurance company is reviewing the file and would pay his treatment costs, which had amounted to nearly VND3 billion at the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases before he was moved to Cho Ray Hospital for further treatment on May 22.

COVID-19 situation in Southeast Asia over last 24 hours

Indonesia on June 9 reported the highest single-day increase in the COVID-19 count with 1,043 new cases, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.

The daily jump raised the total number of coronavirus infections in the country to 33,076, including 1,923 deaths. It has so far conducted 286,650 tests for the virus.

Over the last 24 hours, the Philippines announced six more COVID-19 deaths and 518 new infections. The country’s official tally is now at 22,992 cases, including 1,071 deaths.

The same day, Thailand recorded two new COVID-19 cases, taking the total count to 3,121, including 58 deaths. The new patients were among recent arrivals from Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands. The country has gone 15 straight days with no new community infections.

Meanwhile, all 19 people infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Laos have recovered, with the last patient discharged from hospital on June 9. It has been more than two months since the first case reported in the country.

Laos has been clear of new community infections for 60 consecutive days.

Lao Health Minister Bounkong Syhavong said the country will continue imposing preventive measures against the disease until the end of June and new policies would be adopted depending on the actual situation./.

No new COVID-19 cases confirmed on June 10 morning

Doctor Bui Thi Tang begins a new working day

Vietnam has gone through 55 straight days without community transmission, as no new cases were reported as of 6am on June 10, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Among the total 332 infections, 192 were imported and quarantined upon arrival.

At present, 9,136 people having close contact with patients or entering from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined at hospitals, concentrated quarantine establishments, and home.

The steering committee’s report showed that 317 out of the 332 cases, or 95.5 percent, have been given the all-clear, and no fatalities have been confirmed.

Three patients tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once and three others tested negative twice or more./.

Vietnamese, Russian military medicine forces share COVID-19 prevention experience

The military medicine forces of Vietnam and Russia joined a video conference on June 9 to share experience in COVID-19 prevention and control.

Major General Nguyen Xuan Kien, Head of the Military Medical Department at the General Department of Logistics, told Russian officers that Vietnam has gone through more than 50 days without community transmission.

However, the country cannot declare free of the disease as it still reports imported cases and the situation in the world remains complicated with high risks of new outbreaks.

Therefore, studying and sharing disease prevention and control experience, especially in the prevention of cross infection or infection from concentrated quarantine facilities to the community, is essential.

This was the second time the military medicine forces of Vietnam and Russia had held a teleconference on cooperation in disease prevention and control. The move is in line with Vietnam’s policy of intensifying international cooperation in this field, thus contributing to consolidating the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership./.

Philippines, AIIB ink pact on co-financing for COVID-19 response

The Philippines has signed an agreement with the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank (AIIB) committing the multilateral lender to extend a loan of 750 million USD to support government efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Philippine Department of Finance (DOF) said on June 9 that it intends to use the new loan to augment the funds needed to slow down the viral transmission and carry out an economic recovery plan designed to fuel growth and create jobs.

In its statement, the DOF said the loan accord cements the AIIB's commitment to co-finance with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the Philippines' COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) programme.

The AIIB loan carries a maturity period of 12 years, inclusive of a three-year grace period.

Last month, Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez signed an agreement with ADB Country Director for the Philippines Kelly Bird that would enable the government to access up to 1.5 billion USD in budgetary support from the bank to augment funds for the CARES programme.

At least 7.3 million Filipinos lost their jobs in April 2020 as the unemployment rate in the Philippines rose to a record high 17.7 percent in April 2020 due to the economic slowdown triggered by the COVID-19 lockdown since mid-March./.

Indonesia scraps provision limiting number of passengers on public transport

The Indonesian Transportation Ministry has issued a new circular amending its April rule that limited the number of passengers on public transit systems and private vehicles to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

According to the new rules, the maximum passenger capacity for land, sea and air transportation is no longer 50 percent.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi told the press that the opening of some economic activities will increase travel demand, thus the rule must be adjusted to suit the new situation.

The country has entered a transition period of relaxed restrictions called the "new normal".

A recent report from the national COVID-19 task force show there was a significant daily increase of infections on June 9 with 1,043 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 33,076 with 1,923 fatalities./.

Two more COVID-19 patients go on to make full recovery

An additional two patients suffering from the novel coronavirus were announced to have made a full recovery from the virus on June 10, increasing the total number of recovered cases to 319, making up 96.1% of all patients. 

The discharged pair are both Vietnamese citizens who had recently arrived in the country from abroad. Following their swift quarantine upon arrival at the airport, they were confirmed to have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus which leads to the COVID-19, on May 17 and May 18.

They were then admitted to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi where the pair responded well to treatment and have since gone on to test negative for the COVID-19 twice in succession. 

They are currently enjoying a stable health condition and are not showing any of the typical symptoms of the virus such as a fever, a cough, or shortness of breath. 

Both patients will now be placed into isolation in their respective homes to undergo a mandatory 14-day observation period to ensure there is no possibility of the virus reoccurring.

At present, the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi is treating four COVID-19 patients left.

As of June 10, Vietnam has gone 55 consecutive days without new locally transmitted infections. It has confirmed 332 patients in total but no deaths have been reported.

With 319 patients going on to be successfully discharged from hospital, the remaining 13 cases are all receiving treatment at centrally- and locally-run hospitals, with the majority of them in a stable condition.

COVID-19 recovery rate improves to 95.48%

The recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in Viet Nam improved to 95.48 as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
 
So far 317 have been freed of the virus, making up 95.48% of the country's patient tally, and the current active cases are reportedly in stable health conditions, the committee said.

The current patients include three tested negative for the virus once and three others tested negative for at least twice.

As many as 8,182 people are under quarantine due to having been in close contact with COVID-19 patients or returned from foreign countries and territories.

Regarding patient 91, who is a British national, Luong Ngoc Khue, Associate Professor, deputy head of the Sub-committee for COVID-19 prevention and treatment said he is experiencing “miraculous recovery”.

The patient has been put off a life support machine called Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for six  consecutive days and could sit up, swing his legs and write, Khue added.

The patient’s recovery indicates the extraordinary efforts of our health workers at the Cho Ray Hospital, with strong support from top doctors from medical facilities nationwide, said Khue.

The British man has undergone 91 days of treatment since he was admitted to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases on Mary 18./.

Over US$17 million allocated to support residents affected by Covid-19

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has just required the Bank of Social Policies’ branch in HCMC to continue allocating over additional VND400 billion ( over US$17 million) to provide loans for poor city dwellers who are affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The amount of VND400 billion will be loaned to poor residents who planned to resume their business activities.

In addition, the bank was required to provide more money to those who wish to buy social houses as well as to employers to pay workers who were laid off during Covid-19.

Besides, the municipal People’s Committee also ordered banks of social policies in districts to disburse state capital sources as quickly as possible as per plan.

Last but not least, these banks must disburse capital source of the poverty reduction fund to give loans to eligible near-poor and poor households in a bid to help them resuming their business activities.

District administrations must collect due debts and back debts. District people’s committees must set up trust fund to supplement for the poverty reduction fund through the banks of social policies to provide money to employees with the aim to restore production and business.

Furthermore, district administrations must help poor residents who wish to have money accessing to preferential credit program and the banks of social policies.

City authorities agreed to delay or extend debt payment within 24 months for those who were affected by the coronavirus pandemic.