At a concentrated quarantine area (Photo:VNA)

According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the country has recorded 1,095 SARS-CoV-2 infections so far. Of the total, 691 were locally-transmitted cases, including 551 linked with Da Nang city since the latest coronavirus wave hit the locality on July 25.

Among the confirmed cases, 1,018 were given the all clear. The death toll remained at 35.

As many as 15,013 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients and or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantine.

French newspaper hails Vietnam’s success in dealing with COVID-19

The Les Echos newspaper in France has hailed Vietnam’s success in dealing with COVID-19 and restarting the economy.

It noted that the number of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam as well as fatalities remained low at 1,077 and 35, respectively as of September 29, for a population of nearly 100 million.

Despite restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the disease, the country’s GDP in the third quarter still grew by 2.62 percent from the same period last year. The newspaper quoted Vietnam’s General Office of Statistics as forecasting that the goal of 2-percent growth for this year is not out of reach.

Les Echos also reported that Vietnam’s exports in the first nine months of the year increased by 4.2 percent and production also maintained growth. It cited a survey which showed 81 percent of Vietnamese believed that the country’s economy still maintains its growth impetus./.

COVID-19 cases surge in some Southeast Asian countries

Malaysia announced 260 new cases of COVID-19 on October 1, the highest daily number in the country since June 4, raising its total count to 11,484.

The death toll from COVID-19 in Malaysia is now 136.

Also in the past 24 hours, the Philippines recorded 2,415 more cases and 59 new deaths, bringing the total number of cases to 314,079 and fatalities to 5,562.

The country’s Health Ministry said so far more than 3.52 million out of the national population of 109 million have been tested for SARS-CoV-2.

The same day, Indonesia reported an additional 4,174 cases and 116 more deaths of COVID-19. The country’s total count of cases now stood at 291,182 and the death toll at 10,856.

Also on October 1, Laos relaxed some restrictions with the aim to support economic recovery while still maintaining the ban on entry and exit through border gates, except for diplomats, staff members of international organisations, foreign experts, investors and businesspeople.

The Lao government has agreed in principle to allow groups of tourists from countries free from community-transmitted COVID-19 cases, and allowed continued talks with Vietnam and China on the opening of “green lanes”.

Lao citizens in countries without community-transmitted cases of COVID-19 are now also allowed to return to Laos. After arriving, they have to take tests and wait for test results for 48 hours. If the test result is negative, they can undergo quarantine at their office or accommodation./.

Da Nang to host the first tourists after COVID-19 resurgence

Đà Nẵng City’s tourism department, in co-operation with Vietnam Airlines, will host the first tourists to visit Đà Nẵng after the second wave of COVID-19 that hit the city in July.

The department said a group of 55 tourists from Hà Nội have booked a three-day and two-night tour exploring destinations in the central city on October 4-6. 

It said the Hanoian tourists, who will join the tour of Hùng Long Thành travel agency, will take a return flight from Hà Nội to Đà Nẵng to land at Đà Nẵng International Airport on October 4.

The department said it hopes more domestic tourists would come to Đà Nẵng soon with promotion programmes offered by travel agencies, airlines and hotels.

Sun World Bà Nà Hills, one of the top tourist attractions in Đà Nẵng, reopened to the public last week.

The city’s tourism industry has been heavily damaged by COVID-19 and it hosted only 2,800 tourists in August, 95.5 per cent decrease from the same period last year.

Eight more COVID-19 patients recover

Eight more COVID-19 patients have been given the all-clear after testing negative for SARS-CoV-2, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control announced on Thursday. 

The total number of people who have made a full recovery now stands at 1,018.

During treatment, these patients all tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 three times. They currently are in a stable condition.

They will all now be quarantined at their homes for 14 days according to pandemic prevention regulations.

On Thursday morning, the committee announced one new imported COVID-19 case, bringing the total to 1,095.

The latest patient is a 49-year-old Russian man who arrived on Saturday. He was entering the country as a specialist worker. He was travelling onboard flight QH9495 to Cần Thơ Airport in the Mekong Delta and was immediately quarantined upon arrival.

On Thursday, over 230 Vietnamese citizens were brought home from Thailand on a flight of national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines as a joint effort of competent authorities of both nations.

There are now nearly 15,500 people under quarantine at hospitals, medical facilities and at home.