A health worker sprays disinfectants over passengers' baggage amid the coronavirus pandemic. Two patients thought to have been cleared of Covid-19 tested positive again and are being treated at Cu Chi Field Hospital in HCMC - PHOTO: VNA

Two patients thought to have been cleared of Covid-19, which is linked to the new coronavirus, tested positive again and are being treated at Cu Chi Field Hospital in HCMC.

The two Brazilian men residing in the city’s District 2 were tagged as the 207th and 224th cases.

They tested positive again during a 14-day self-isolation period after being discharged from hospital on April 18 and 20, according to the HCMC Center for Disease Control and Prevention (HCMC CDC).

Also, the 151st patient, a Brazilian citizen who was released from hospital on April 18, was sent to the hospital for monitoring as she had close contact with the 207th case.

Earlier, the Health Ministry on April 25 had reported five other cases who tested positive again after recovery. They are the 188th, 52nd, 149th, 137th, and 36th patients.

In related news, HCMC CDC noted that it has coordinated with the relevant agencies to set up extra quarantine facilities to receive thousands of Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad as well as to monitor international flights’ cabin crews that have stayed in the city.

As of 6 a.m. today, April 27, Vietnam has reported no new Covid-19 cases for three consecutive days. Also, it has recorded zero new infections in the community for 11 days since April 16.

The national tally remains at 270, with 225 recoveries.

Health agencies told to remain vigilant about coronavirus

HCMC Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan speaks at a meeting. He has urged agencies to closely monitor three possible sources of potential infections in the city - PHOTO: NLD

The HCMC Party chief has urged agencies to closely monitor three possible sources of potential infections in the city, even as the Covid-19 pandemic has been brought under control.

Speaking during a web conference last night, April 24, HCMC Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan mentioned three sources of Covid-19 infections: from existing infected people, those returning from abroad and people traveling between localities. 

Nhan also said some cured patients may become infected again. Therefore, health agencies must strictly keep an eye on these people.

He also noted the risk among Vietnamese returning from abroad, Nhan said. “From next week, the city will receive some 300 students coming from the United States, and then followed by some 2,000 others”.

Nhan said international flights are the third potential source of coronavirus infections. When travel restrictions are lifted, the number of foreigners and travelers coming to the city will increase, thus health agencies should put in place disease control measures to monitor those people.

Nhan also ordered the municipal steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention to take drastic measures to prevent and quickly detect infected cases from abroad, to isolate domestic infection sources, as well as calling for city dwellers and organizations to protect themselves from the coronavirus.

Also at the meeting, Nhan praised the initial results of Covid-19 prevention activities, which resulted in bringing the pandemic under control.

From early February, the city was aware of the high risk of coronavirus infections, ordering schools to allow students to remain at home and asking people to wear face masks to limit the spread of the virus. HCMC was the first city to require wearing face masks in public as a mandatory practice.

As of April 24, Vietnam has reported 270 coronavirus cases, with 245 having recovered.

HCMC closes 62 coronavirus checkpoints

A medical quarantine worker checks the body temperature of a traveler seated in a car. HCMC on April 23 stopped the operation of 62 coronavirus checkpoints at entrances to the city - PHOTO: PLO

HCMC on April 23 stopped the operation of 62 coronavirus checkpoints that had earlier been set up at entrances to the city to help forces control the coronavirus pandemic and protect its residents from the virus, according to the Road and Railway Traffic Police Division.

The division of the HCMC Police noted that the decision had been made by the municipal government.

The division told the local media that those who worked at these checkpoints would return to their usual jobs after the checkpoints were shut down.

Besides this, traffic police officers are tasked with regularly patrolling the streets, ensuring traffic security and regulating traffic as usual.

The management units of the 16 main checkpoints checked over 270,000 vehicles in total from April 5 to 22, according to the division.

A total of 602,497 people were checked at these checkpoints during the 18-day period, with over 3,000 foreigners and 22 others coming from border areas.

Earlier on April 5, the city government set up 62 checkpoints, including 16 main checkpoints and 46 auxiliary ones, to help enforce preventive measures among residents.

This morning, April 24, the Ministry of Health reported no new coronavirus cases, putting the country at eight consecutive days without a new patient being diagnosed with the virus. The country’s total number of confirmed cases was maintained at 268.

Foreign media praise Vietnam’s achievements in COVID-19 fight

Latest Coronavirus News in Vietnam

Vietnam’s achievements in fighting COVID-19 has caught a lot of attention from foreign media.

The US newspaper Los Angeles Times described Vietnam as a rare and surprising bright spot in the combat. It highlighted some drastic measures that Vietnam has soon applied such as keeping schools closed and quarantining masses of people while monitoring those having contact with COVID-19 patients.

Meanwhile, Russian radio Sputnik listed some articles by international media that highly appreciate Vietnam’s fight against COVID-19 with no new infections for a week.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant launched for taking effective measures against COVID-19. Vietnam’s “secret” is “risk level classification”, it noted, explaining that the country’s National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has classified all the 63 cities and provinces into high, medium and low risk. Social distancing measures have been applied based on the classification.

The Marketplace website referred to factors that contribute to the success of the Vietnamese government in this fight such as implementing 14-day quarantine since mid-February for all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners entering the country, and raising public awareness via media, social networks and posters.

The Austrian newspaper Standard highlighted Vietnam as an examplary response to COVID-19. It said Vietnam is a developing country with limited resources, but it has effectively curbed the outbreak through low-cost measures.

According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Vietnam reported no new cases of COVID-19 on April 26 morning, keeping the country’s total number of infections at 270. Of those, 225 people have fully recovered, accounting for 83 percent./.

HCMC’s entertainment facilities remain closed

Beer clubs and restaurants on Bui Vien Street in downtown HCMC remain closed amid the coronavirus pandemic. The city has extended the suspension of operations of local entertainment facilities starting from April 23 until further notice – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC will extend the suspension of operations of local entertainment facilities from April 23 until further notice as part of ongoing efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

Entertainment facilities such as cinemas, karaoke bars, game outlets, beer clubs and wedding centers; massage parlors, beauty salons and spas; and sport centers will continue to be subject to the suspension, reported Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper.

Besides this, homestays and Airbnb facilities were required to temporarily stop receiving new guests.

The city also does not allow gatherings of over 20 people in public areas outside workplaces, schools or hospitals. Religious activities and social events gathering more than 20 people are banned as well.

These facilities have to comply with prevailing regulations to combat Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Meanwhile, State agencies can maintain normal operations and have to adhere strictly to safety guidelines on Covid-19 infection prevention and control.

People are asked to wear face masks in public areas and at workplaces as well as limit nonessential outings. Further, a minimum distance of two meters should be maintained between people in public spaces.

HCMC stops taking test samples at airport, railway stations

Having passed 16 days without a new patient being diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in HCMC, the city’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention today, April 23, has stopped taking samples from arriving passengers at Saigon Railway Station and Tan Son Nhat International Airport for Covid-19 testing.

The city is still checking the body temperatures of people arriving at 62 checkpoints.

From April 4 to 22, the city center took over 13,800 samples from travelers at the airport and some 5,600 samples from travelers at the railway station, the local media reported.

The test results of these samples, except for the sample of the 22nd case, who tested positive for the virus after being discharged from a hospital in Danang City, came back negative for Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, proving there was no risk of community spread.

Nguyen Tri Dung, director of the city center, noted that the city is treating only two coronavirus patients at the moment, with one having tested negative for Covid-19 three times and the other being the 91st case, a British pilot working for Vietnam Airlines.

The center is collaborating with the HCMC Food Safety Management Board to build a set of criteria to assess food safety and Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures applicable to factories and companies, said Dung.

Three more recovered patients test positive for COVID-19 again

A further three patients who had fully recovered from the coronavirus have tested positive again, according to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Two of the patients are Brazilian citizens who were closely linked to Buddha Bar – a coronavirus hotspots in Ho Chi Minh City, health authorities said on April 27. 

They were placed under quarantine at home after being discharged from hospital on April 18 and 20. During their 14-day quarantine period, health professionals took their samples for retesting with the results coming back positive.

The two were immediately transferred to Cu Chi field hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for further observation and treatment.

The third patient is a Vietnamese citizen who was exposed to the deadly SARS-NoV-2 virus again 15 days after making a full recovery and being released from hospital.

The 23-year-old man, who returned to Vietnam from COVID-19 hit France, lives in Phu Tho province.

Like other recovered patients, he was required to self-isolate at home for 14 days and showed no flu-like symptoms. However, later tests indicated he had acquired the virus again.

The patient was sent to the Central Hospital of Tropical Diseases for monitoring and treatment again.  

He was said to have stayed at home and contacted only three people in the family during the 14-day quarantine period. Three of his relatives tested negative, but they were all sent to a quarantine facility for observation.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health also announced five other patients had relapsed again after a full recovery.

Vietnamese in Thailand, RoK support COVID-19 fight in homeland

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Minh Khoi on April 27 handed over gifts in cash and kind donated by Vietnamese citizens living Thailand and the Republic of Korea to the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) to support the country’s battle against the novel coronavirus.

Handing over the gifts donated by Vietnamese nationals living in Thailand to VFF Central Committee President Tran Thanh Man (Photo:VFF)
At the handover ceremony, Khoi, who is also Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, said despite difficulties in their host countries, Vietnamese citizens have joined hands in launching fund-raising  campaigns to help their compatriots combat the disease in the homeland. 

He announced that the General Association of Vietnamese people in Thailand and the Vietnam Business Association in the Republic of Korea (VIBAK) had raised VND638 million and VND66 million for the battle.

In addition, he said the Vietnamese communities in Hungary, Thailand, China, the US, Laos, Cambodia, the Republic of Korea, Poland, the Czech Republic, Britain, Germany and France, have also offered medical supplies such as cloth face masks, clothes, food, protective masks, and gloves to administrations, hospitals and Vietnamese nationals in need in their host countries.

VFF Central Committee President Tran Thanh Man thanked Vietnamese citizens abroad for their heartfelt support to the homeland and said the money and medical supplies will be delivered to those in need in an open and transparent manner. 

COVID-19: Vietnamese giant HAGL donates medical supplies to Cambodia

Vietnamese giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) on April 26 presented medical equipment against COVID-19 to Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The supplies worth nearly 50,000 USD include 150,000 face masks, 3,500 bottles of antiseptic solution, 35,000 pairs of medical gloves, and 2,000 pieces of preventive gear.

HAGL Group started investment in Cambodia in 2007 and since then received strong support from the host country.

The donation aims to help the Cambodian government and people prevent the pandemic.

Nghin Chhay , director general of the Cambodian ministry’s General Directorate of Agriculture, thanked the group for its donation and pledged to make effective uses of these medical supplies.

He said the supplies will be transferred to hospitals and medical centres across the country, as well as remote areas to support low-income people./.

Singapore sets up bed space for COVID-19 patients as cases surge

A view of beds at Changi Exhibition Centre (Photo: Reuters)

Singapore is rapidly building bed space for COVID-19 patients in exhibition halls as it faces a surge in cases.

One such facility at Changi Exhibition Centre - home to the Singapore Airshow, Asia’s biggest aerospace gathering - could house over 4,000 patients recovering from the disease and those with mild symptoms.

So far, Singapore has confirmed 12,693 infections, including 12 deaths.

Meanwhile, Thailand reported 15 new COVID-19 cases and no deaths on April 26, bringing the total number of these groups to 2,922 and 51 respectively.

According to the result of an opinion survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, general economic affairs top Thai people's worries as their country is coping with the pandemic./.

Recommendations offered on maintaining COVID-19 fight in community

The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has delivered recommendations to the public in order to maintain the fight against the epidemic in the community.

Accordingly, the committee suggested that the public continue to effectively implement the limitation of social contacts, only going out when genuinely necessary, always wearing face masks and keeping to social distancing practices, as well as washing hands often with soap or antiseptic solution, regularly cleaning homes, updating their daily health situation and keeping regular contact with health workers and medical facilities.

The committee also recommended that people should call medical staff in advance for advice when they are sick, while volunteering and reminding each other to comply with regulations and recommendations on disease prevention and control.

As of Monday morning (April 27), the number of COVID-19 cases in the country remains at 270, with 225 having recovered and no deaths recorded. Today also marks the 11th day in a row in which the country has seen no new cases through community infection.

Starting today, many localities across the country are beginning to send students back to school. However, most of the localities are only allowing students in grades 9 and 12 or secondary and high school levels to resume their studies. Local authorities require their education sector to well implement preventive measures to ensure a safe learning environment for welcoming students back to school.

Teachers at Nua Ngam Kindergarten in Nua Ngam Commune, Dien Bien District, in the province of the same name, clean mud from around the campus, resulting from the heavy rains in recent days, to prepare to welcome their students back after a long break due to COVID-19. (Photo: NDO/Le Lan)

Meanwhile, activities to support disadvantaged people who are facing difficulties during the epidemic have been maintaining across the nation.

On April 26, the People's Committee of Kon Tum Province decided to allocate VND757.6 million to the relevant local units and localities. The money has been sourced from the donation of organisations and individuals in support of the local COVID-19 fight. The above amount will be directly transferred to the concerned units via the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Kon Tum Province.

From April 25 to 29, Apec Group has cooperated with Ninh Thuan Provincial Youth Union to organise a "zero VND supermarket" in Phan Rang - Thap Cham City to support the poor and disadvantaged people in “buying” necessities at a cost of VND0. Each customer is supported with VND100,000 per package a day, with each package of necessities including rice, cooking oil, fish sauce, chicken eggs, seasoning and sugar. By Sunday morning, the special supermarket had offered 800 gifts Ninh Thuan locals.

Also on Sunday, nearly 400 volunteers and Youth Union members of the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group donated over 350 units of blood at a voluntary blood donation drive at Uong Bi Coal Company in Uong Bi City, Quang Ninh Province. As planned, the second and third drives will be organised in the cities of Ha Long and Cam Pha, and are expected to collect 1,500 units of blood this year to assist the treatment and emergency at local hospitals.