Health workers are collecting samples for COVID-19 testing.

Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases in the morning of August 26, keeping the national tally at 1,029, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

As many as 592 patients have been given the all-clear. There have been 27 fatalities so far.

The committee’s treatment sub-committee said 15 patients are in critical conditions. They all suffer from various serious underlying health problems, such as chronic kidney failure, heart diseases, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

Among the active patients, 53 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 67 twice and 47 three times.

Some 71,820 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or came from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide.

COVID-19: Da Nang lifts one-month lockdown on leading hospital

The Da Nang municipal administration on August 25 decided to lift a lockdown it imposed on Da Nang general hospital a month ago due to COVID-19 infection, affirming the health facility is safe from the virus.

Hundreds of doctors and nurses clapped their hands cheerfully after director of the municipal health department Ngo Thi Kim Yen announced the city’s decision to lift the order. 

Director of the hospital Dr Le Duc Nhan said medical workers had disinfected the facility several times and all doctors and nurses had tested negative for the virus six times altogether.

As many as 340 doctors and nurses were allowed to go home after a month-long stay in the blockaded hospital and they will self-quarantine at home for 14 days under current regulations. More than 10 severe patients remain in the hospital for treatment.

According to Dr Nhan, Da Nang hospital has yet to receive patients after the lockdown order was lifted. It is set to spend two weeks continuing with clean-up efforts and training on a comprehensive care model. It is expected to receive patients with severe illnesses again as of August 28.

Da Nang general hospital, the leading health facility in Da Nang city, was isolated on July 26 after a COVID-19 patient was detected, ending a 99-day streak without a locally transmitted infection in Vietnam. Many cases have been since detected there and the virus has also spread to 15 cities and provinces, with a total of 547 cases registered.

Together with Da Nang hospital, other health facilities such as Hospital C, Da Nang Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Hospital and two medical centers in Hai Chau and Cam Le districts had been quarantined following virus detection. All but Da Nang hospital have now reopened the door to receive patients back.

Da Nang students have COVID-19 tests before graduation exams

Approximately 11,000 high-school students from Da Nang, the epicenter of the country’s largest coronavirus outbreak, will be tested for COVID-19 before sitting for graduation exams.

In addition to students, examiners will also be tested for the virus in order to prevent its spread, said Deputy Director of Department of Education and Training Mai Tan Linh. 

These students could not take part in the first phase of the exam held nationwide in early August as the COVId-19 outbreak was spreading in the locality.

Of the total figure, 171 students live outside the city, with most of them being free condidates or studying at private schools.

In the event that the students are unable to return to Da Nang for the exams, the city will arrange for them to undertake the exams in neighbouring provinces that also organize the second phase of the exam this time, said Linh.

All candidates that attend the exam will be required to don face masks, undergo a body temperature check, and use hand sanitizer.

Authorities quarantined close contacts of Vietnamese man who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in South Korea

Authorities of Ha Nam Province are tracing contacts of a man who tested positive for coronavirus after arriving in South Korea.

Nguyen Trong Khai, deputy head of Ha Nam Province’s health department, said Wednesday that after receiving confirmation from the South Korean authorities regarding the COVID-19 case of a 24-year-old male N.N.C in Kim Bang District, the health workers have set up surveillance zone around his residence and identified 68 people who he came into contact with.

According to Khai, N.N.C went to South Korea on August 20 on a flight with a fellow Vietnamese from the northern province of Hai Phong, also confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive by health authorities there.

Both of them are not listed in the Vietnamese health ministry's COVID-19 registry as of Tuesday morning.

Before departing to South Korea, N.N.C worked in Ha Noi and left for his hometown, also held a farewell party at his home and at a restaurant.

Fifty six close contacts (F1 cases) in Ha Nam were placed under quarantine and had their specimens taken to be tested for COVID-19.

The province’s health workers are coordinating with counterparts in other localities to locate identified F1 cases and place them under medical observation. 

Stricter COVID-19 prevention measures applied at Da Nang's markets

After four staff at local markets in Da Nang tested positive for COVID-19, stricter guidelines have been put in place. Although market authorities are doing their best to prevent any spread of SARS-CoV-2, controlling the invisible virus is still a challenge with hundreds of people visiting the markets every day.

Over 100 Covid-19 patients to be discharged

Some 167 Covid-19 patients are going to be released following their recovery while dozens of other patients are still in critical condition.

As of 6 am on August 26, Vietnam had 1,029 patients, including 689 community cases. Since July 25, 547 cases have been found to be related to Danang outbreak.

A total of 71,820 people have been quarantined after returning from the outbreak areas or had come into contact with the patients. 1,960 of them have been quarantined at hospitals, 20,237 were sent to quarantine centres and 49,621 people have isolated at home.

According to the National Steering Committee about Covid-19 Prevention and Control, 592 people have recovered and 27 people have died. All of the deaths are related to the outbreak in Danang, in old ages or have serious underlying conditions such as cancer, blood pressure problems and diabetes.

167 patients have been tested negative from one to three times and will be discharged soon. However, 30 people are in critical condition, 15 of them are in a dire situation and many face high mortality risks. Two of them need extracorporeal life support, nine people need ventilators.

A 36-year-old patient is in critical condition because of kidney failure and high blood pressure. He is struggling against pneumonia due to Covid-19, heart failure and septic shock. Most of the medicines proved to be ineffective. The doctors are also trying to find a way to give him nutrition. Another young patient is a 28-year-old man from Quang Nam Province. He already has cancer and suffers from acute pneumonia due to Covid-19.

In Hanoi, the health of several patients in critical condition has improved. Patient 867 is no longer in critical condition. Patient 812 has serious lung damage. However, his health has improved and he doesn't need intubation even though he is still in serious condition.

Patient 793 is the most serious case in Hanoi due to bacterial superinfection and needed blood dialysis. The doctors are trying to find the cause of the infection.

Second aid package for those hit by COVID-19 proposed

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said on August 25 that it has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Planning and Investment seeking the second aid package for businesses and workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents receive the aid (Photo: VNA)

The package's total funding is estimated at 18.6 trillion VND (808 million USD), which will be used to offer preferential loans to employers to develop production and trade, and generate more jobs, and give direct aid to affected workers.

Beneficiaries will include small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives, cooperative groups, business households, with priority given to micro and small-sized enterprises, cooperatives, business households and labourers in rural areas.

In accordance with the Government’s Decree No.74/2019/ND-CP, businesses will be eligible for a maximum loan of 2 billion VND and labourers with 100 million VND. For new loans from September 1, 2020 till September 1, 2021, annual interest rates will stand at 3.96 percent, or half of those for near-poor households. The total loans will be worth 15 trillion VND.

The remaining 3.6 trillion VND will be used to offer allowances to those who become jobless and have children aged below six. Each will be entitled to 1 million VND per month for a maximum duration of three months, applicable from September to December.

About the first aid package worth 62 trillion VND, localities approved a list of nearly 16 million beneficiaries with a total funding of more than 17.5 trillion VND as of late July.

The State Treasury disbursed about 12 trillion VND to support nearly 12 million people and 13,000 business households across the country. 

HCM City to provide second support package to firms

Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities plan to provide another support package for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at a recent meeting, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said the city is considering another support package, especially for enterprises that have suspended operations due to the impact of the outbreak.

The city will issue specific policies to help enterprises or industries heavily affected such as travel, restaurants, hotels, and transport and tourism-related services, he said.

More than 21,000 businesses in the city have suspended operations and laid off a large number of employees, said Phong.

In March, HCM City authorities approved a support package targeting poor families and 600,000 workers and teachers at private pre-schools who lost their jobs.

By the end of June, HCM City had provided financial support worth a total of 560 billion VND (24.15 million USD) to more than 510,000 out of a total of 542,000 people affected by the pandemic.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had also approved a relief package worth over 62 trillion VND (2.67 billion USD) to benefit around 20 million people nationwide, with a focus on workers who lost jobs and incomes and businesses affected by the pandemic.

According to the city’s authorities, 90 percent of 8,400 enterprises facing difficulties are eligible for the Government’s support package.VNA

Vietnam conducts over 1 million COVID-19 tests

The Vietnamese health ministry said it has conducted more than one million PCR tests since the COVID-19 pandemic first began in late January.

In the first stage lasting 44 days from January 22 to March 5, since the first cases recorded in the country to the 16th patient, 3,094 specimens were processed, translating to a daily capacity of merely 70 tests.

The second phase lasting 47 days from March 6 to April 22, 182,109 specimens were processed, equivalent to 3,874 samples a day.

This period marked the ‘second wave’ of coronavirus infections in Vietnam, with many imported cases and subsequent closure of borders on March 22, after a brief two weeks with no reported cases since the 16th case.

The third phase, lasting 91 days, from April 23 to July 23, a total of 237,815 specimens were processed, translating to handling of 16,173 specimens a day.

This was within the period of Vietnam’s 99 days of no recorded community infections and only imported cases, a streak that ended on July 25 when Patient 416 was confirmed in Da Nang, leading to the discovery of several hundred local infections connected to this outbreak in the coastal city.

From July 24 to August 24, the national daily capacity jumped to 16,173 specimens a day, with more than 485,215 specimens processed within a span of 30 days.

By 3pm on August 28, Vietnam has performed a total of 1,009,145 tests using RT-PCR technique, according to the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health.

The ministry noted that the number of COVID-19 tests performed within the past month alone reached the same as the amount carried out in the first six months into the pandemic, given the spread of the virus into the community which demanded quick testing on a larger scale of the population to properly carry out the strategy of quickly identifying, isolating cases, tracing their close contacts and eventually suppressing the outbreaks.

Vietnam currently has 71 facilities that can perform confirmatory COVID-19 tests, capable of conducting a total of 34,000 tests a day.

On August 20, the health ministry sent an urgent notice to all State-managed hospitals and health centres to increase SARS-CoV-2 screenings to early detect COVID-19 cases in a bid to reduce risks of the virus infiltration into wards where patients are in poor health, which happened in Da Nang, resulting in the majority of related deaths.

Hundreds of thousands of medical masks given for free

Hundreds of thousands of medical masks will be offered to the public for free from August 25 to September 30 in an effort to fight the COVID-19 pandemic across Vietnam.

The activity is a joint effort between Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VOV)’s Vietnam Digital Television VTC and the Vietnam Ancestral Global Day project organising board.

On August 25 in Hanoi, a "Mask ATM" was put into operation at 23, Lac Trung street, using technology similar to "Rice ATM" and offering 45,000 medical masks with 3-4 layers.

The machine will run from 5am-5pm every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, starting from August 25. Each citizen could receive a maximum of two bags of masks, with each holding three ones.

In the central city of Da Nang and province of Quang Nam, the organising board presented 125,000 masks to hospitals, front-line medical workers, patients and their family members.

Tens of thousands of medical masks were also handed over to reporters covering the fight against the pandemic.

A representative of the organising board said VOV will continue working with agencies and mass organisations to hold meaningful activities to combat the pandemic between now and the year-end. VNA

Seven new COVID-19 patients reported, totalling 1029

Vietnam recorded seven more new cases of COVID-19, all in the central city of Da Nang, raising the total number to 1029 as of 6pm on August 25, according to the national steering committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Two patients, No 1023 and 1024, are residents in an area under lockdown in Hoa Tien ward, Hoa Vang district.

The other five are family members of patient 1017.

All the seven are being quarantined and treated at Hoa Vang temporary hospital.

A total of 71,821 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or came from pandemic-affected areas are under quarantine across the country.

Four COVID-19 patients were given the all-clear on August 25, taking the number of recovered patients to 592. There have been 27 fatalities.

Thailand extends state of emergency for one month

The Cabinet of Thailand on August 25 approved a one-month extension of the state of emergency through September 30 to control the COVID-19 pandemic as the nation seeks to prolong its streak of going three months without a local infection.

The Cabinet’s move was in line with the proposal from the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration, said government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.

The powers under the state of emergency, and its fifth extension since the initial order in March, allow the government to act quickly in case of a crisis, he added.

The Cabinet also approved keeping the value-added tax rate at 7 percent for another year through September 2021, according to Ratchada Thanadirek, another government spokesperson.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s Cabinet also approved a budget of 1 billion baht (31.7 million USD) to support production of a vaccine.

As of August 25, Thailand has reported 3,402 COVID-19 infection cases, including 58 deaths./

ADB supports Philippines in COVID-19 fight

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan worth 125 million USD to support the Philippines to strengthen its capacity in preventing and controlling the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Manila-based bank said on August 25 that the Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit (HEAL) COVID-19 project will enable the Department of Health (DOH) to improve health services across the country through the upgrading of medical equipment and related training.

ADB Vice-President Ahmed Saeed said that the project will help improve the preparedness and resilience of the country's health systems at the national and local levels in handling current and future public health threats.

ADB Principal Social Sector Specialist for Southeast Asia Sakiko Tanaka said that the project will help the government scale up its ability to conduct COVID-19 tests, surveillance, and infection prevention and control, and provide critical care equipment to improve treatment outcomes.

According to the ADB, the government is seeking to more than double the daily COVID-19 testing capacity to 75,000 by the end of the year, compared with nearly 31,000 as of August 15. The Philippines now has 194,252 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 3,010 deaths.

Used medical equipment set to be sold found in Binh Duong

Market watch officials in southern Binh Duong Province have found more than 20 tonnes of used medical gloves and protective suits stored by a local business.

The goods were set to be sold on the market.

Workers were at the business in Lai Hung Commune, Bau Bang District. A total of 20 tonnes of used medical gloves and 1 tonne of protective suits classified as medical waste were discovered. Some156,000 medical gloves contained in 156 boxes without clear origin was also found at the place. 

The business owner failed to show a business operation certificate and the papers of origins of the goods. 

He admitted he hired the place since this June as storage to collect and classify discarded medical gloves before selling them on.

The police are investigating the case. 

VNA/VNS/VNN/VOV/Dtinews