Seven COVID-19 patients at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases are given the all-clear.

Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases on September 1 morning, keeping the country's total infections at 1,044, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Of the total, 690 are locally transmitted cases, with 550 linked to the outbreak in the central city of Da Nang since July 25.

The committee’s treatment sub-committee reported that 707 out of the 1,044 patients have been given the all-clear. The death toll has reached 34.

Among the active patients, 29 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 72 twice and 36 three times.

Currently, 55,370 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or came from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide, including 908 quarantined at hospitals, 16,117 people at concentrated quarantine establishments and 38,345 at home.

US plant quarantine expert to arrive in Vietnam on September 2

An expert from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on September 2 to continue monitoring the treatment of fruit destined for the country, which recently underwent a hiatus due to COVID-19.

The expert will first be quarantined, in line with regulations, according to the Plant Protection Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Facing difficulties from the coronavirus outbreak, the US recalled many of its staff in March, including those at the APHIS, in Vietnam. APHIS employees, however, are in charge of monitoring the handling of fruit at the HCM City-based Son Son irradiation centre - the only Vietnamese irradiation facility recognised by APHIS.

While waiting for US plant quarantine experts, the Plant Protection Department worked with the US Embassy in Vietnam, asking it to send a staff member to monitor fruit irradiation to maintain exports.

The resumption of plant quarantine monitoring did not last for long, though, as this person was not specialised in the field. The irradiation and export of fruit to the US was suspended from August 7 to 21 as a result, the Plant Protection Department said.

Its data shows that Vietnam shipped over 6,000 tonnes of fruit to the US in 2019 and more than 3,000 tonnes in the first half of 2020, up slightly against the same period last year.

Six Vietnamese fruits have been licensed to enter the market: dragon fruit, rambutan, longan, lychee, custard apple, and mango.

Vietnamese citizens in Ukraine brought home

More than 240 Vietnamese citizens in Ukraine were brought home on a flight operated by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on August 31 and September 1.

The passengers included children, pregnant women, the elderly, sick people, students who have no accommodation due to the closure of campus, and workers with expired labour contracts.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine sent officials to the airport to support them in boarding procedures.

Safety and hygiene measures were applied during the flights to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

All passengers onboard and crewmembers received medical check-ups right after landing in Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City before being sent to quarantine facilities.

In the coming time, more flights will be operated to repatriate Vietnamese citizens with disadvantaged circumstances, depending on their need and quarantine capacity at home./.

Indonesia tries to protect medical workers from infecting SARS-CoV-2

Chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) Daeng M. Fiqih said his association had coordinated with the national COVID-19 task force and relevant departments to ensure the availability of protective equipment in hospitals and health facilities so as to prevent more deaths among health workers.

He called hospitals to issue a special policy that temporarily prohibits health personnel with comorbidities and those who are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus from working.

Health professionals should also be required to regularly take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to ensure a safe working environment, he said.

Furthermore, he also urged hospitals to create a work schedule in accordance with doctors’ physical health to prevent fatigue, which makes them more vulnerable to the virus.

On August 30, the Indonesian Health Ministry announced 2,858 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 172,053. As many as 82 more people died of the disease, bringing the death toll to 7,343.

On the same day, the Philippine Ministry of Health confirmed 3,448 more COVID-19 infections and 38 dealths, raising the tally in the country to 220,819 and 3,559, respectively.