The Ministry of Health said on July 14 another Vietnamese citizen repatriated from Russia has been diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2, bringing the country’s tally of coronavirus infections to 373.

The male patient, 53, lives in Hanoi capital. He was among Vietnamese citizens boarding flight VN5062 from Russia to Vietnam on July 9.

He was transferred to a concentrated quarantine facility in Ca Mau province upon arriving at Can Tho International Airport in the south. He tested positive for the virus on July 12.

The patient was admitted to the Ca Mau Provincial General Hospital for medical observation and treatment.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam has gone through 89 days without locally transmitted coronavirus infections.

The country has so far recorded a total of 373 COVID-19 cases, of which 352 cases have fully recovered, making up 94.4%. Of the 21 remaining cases, 6 patients have tested negative for the virus at least once. No deaths have been reported. 

Vietnam Airlines repatriates 350 Vietnamese nationals from Australia

Vietnam Airlines on July 13 conducted a repatriation flight, bringing home 350 more Vietnamese citizens stranded in Australia due to the novel coronavirus.

On board the flight were mostly children, the elderly, pregnant women, sick people, those with illnesses, and workers and students made homeless after their working contracts ended or campus closed, and other cases in specially difficult circumstances. 

With the Australian Government restricting travel and interstate closure due to the Covid-19 epidemic,

Vietnamese agencies and the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia collaborated with relevant Australian agencies to facilitate the citizens’ travel in the context of travel restrictions imposed by the Australian government.

The Vietnamese representative missions dispatched officials to the airport to assist the citizens with necessary procedures before they boarded the plane.

Preventive measures were seriously taken during the flight. After landing at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, crew members and passengers underwent medical check-ups and were placed in quarantine as regulated.

Under the Prime Minister’s instructions, Vietnamese authorities and representative offices abroad will continue conducting more flights to bring Vietnamese citizens home in the coming time, based on the pandemic developments at home and abroad, the citizens’ aspirations, and quarantine capacity in localities.

Vietnam supports Myanmar in COVID-19 fight

Vietnam Ambassador to Myanmar Ly Quoc Tuan on July 13 presented 50,000 USD as a gift of the Vietnamese Government to help the country combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony held at the headquarters of the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports in Yangon region, Ambassador Tuan highlighted the significance of the sincere support of the Vietnamese Government and people for Myanmar.

He said it is a vivid manifestation for the comprehensive cooperative partnership between the two nations, which enjoy 45 years of fruitful relations.

Prof. Dr. Zaw Than Htun, head of the Myanmar ministry’s Department of Medical Research, expressed his sincere thanks to the Government and people of Vietnam for this meaningful assistance. He appreciated the cooperation between the two countries and Vietnam's valuable sentiments towards Myanmar.

Myanmar always keeps a close watch on Vietnam's success in COVID-19 prevention, considering it practical experience for the country, he noted.

On this occasion, representatives of some Vietnamese businesses also presented medical equipment and supplies as well as cash to Myanmar's Ministry of Health and Sports.

COVID-19: Philippines re-imposes lockdown of Manila

The Philippine authorities on July 13 announced the partial lockdown of the Manila capital again from July 15 or 16 with about 250,000 people as COVID-19 infections surge, just six weeks after quarantine measures were loosened.

Mayor of Navotas city Toby Tiangco said local residents have to stay at home in the next two weeks.

The Philippines has the second highest number of infections in Southeast Asia, with more than 57,000 cases and 1,599 deaths. Researchers projected that the total number of cases could top 80,000 by the end of July.

The same day, Thai authorities requested enhancing security in border areas due to concern over the second wave of COVID-19 infection after thousands of illegal immigrants were arrested last month.

Two new imported infection cases from Kuwait and Bahrain were confirmed in the country on July 13.

Thailand has so far gone through 49 consecutive days without local transmission. Since January, the country has recorded 3,220 infections, including 58 fatalities.

Indonesia plans to impose sanctions against violators of health protocols

Indonesian authorities said on July 13 that the country is planning to impose sanctions against violators of health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic in order to tighten the public discipline which President Joko Widodo assessed is still low.

Earlier, at a cabinet meeting on the same day, President Joko Widodo asked cabinet members to consider imposing sanctions against health protocol violators.

The President called for priority given to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in eight provinces, including East Java, Jakarta, West Java, South Sulawesi, Central Java, North Sumatra and Papua.

He also urged speeding up testing by preparing more mobile and fixed laboratories in localities, with the goal of increasing the number of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests from the current 20,000 to 30,000 per day.

According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, in the past 24 hours, the country recorded an additional 1,282 COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of people infected with the coronavirus to 76,981, including 3,656 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Ministry of Health announced that 846 more cases of COVID-19 and 65 related deaths were recorded in the country on the day, bringing the total number of coronavirus infections to 57,006, including 1,599 fatalities.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has tripled since President Rodrigo Duterte eased lockdown measures in the capital Manila in June to recover the economy.

Vietnam supports Myanmar in COVID-19 fight

Vietnam Ambassador to Myanmar Ly Quoc Tuan on July 13 presented 50,000 USD as a gift of the Vietnamese Government to help the country combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony held at the headquarters of the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports in Yangon region, Ambassador Tuan highlighted the significance of the sincere support of the Vietnamese Government and people for Myanmar.

He said it is a vivid manifestation for the comprehensive cooperative partnership between the two nations, which enjoy 45 years of fruitful relations.

Prof. Dr. Zaw Than Htun, head of the Myanmar ministry’s Department of Medical Research, expressed his sincere thanks to the Government and people of Vietnam for this meaningful assistance. He appreciated the cooperation between the two countries and Vietnam's valuable sentiments towards Myanmar.

Myanmar always keeps a close watch on Vietnam's success in COVID-19 prevention, considering it practical experience for the country, he noted.
On this occasion, representatives of some Vietnamese businesses also presented medical equipment and supplies as well as cash to Myanmar's Ministry of Health and Sports.