according to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long during at a seminar introducing vaccines against COVID-19 on September 30. 

As one of 42 countries that is capable of producing vaccines, the nation is speeding up its research process in a bid to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, with the Ministry of Health directing manufacturers to step up research activities in order to eventually lead to mass production of a vaccine.

The four local manufacturers of a COVID-19 vaccine include the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VABIOTECH), the Research Center for Vaccine Production and Medical Biologicals (POLYVAC), and Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Co. Ltd.

At present, the country’s potential COVID-19 vaccines are being trialed in an experimental capacity on mice.

Minister Long added that the nation has not recorded any COVID-19 community infection cases since September 3, while the country has stepped up research activities in an effort to develop a suitable COVID-19 vaccine and increase access to vaccines being produced worldwide.

Furthermore, Vietnam is also one of 92 countries participating in the "COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility” (COVAX Facility) scheme and it is expected to get early access to vaccines from Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Moreover, the nation has recently ordered vaccines from three countries, including Russia, the United States, and the UK, while actively seeking other sources through direct discussions with foreign manufacturers.

One new imported case of COVID-19 announced

One new imported COVID-19 case was confirmed in Vietnam on Thursday morning, bringing the total to 1,095, said the Ministry of Health.

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.

A further 17 positive cases were earlier detected onboard the same flight.

He tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on Wednesday and is currently being treated at Cần Thơ Lung Hospital.

Nearly 15,500 people are under quarantine at hospitals, medical facilities and at homes.

More than 250 Vietnamese citizens brought home from RoK

Over 250 Vietnamese citizens were flown home from the Republic of Korea on a flight of Vietjet Air on September 30 as a joint effort of competent authorities of both nations.

The passengers included children under 18, the elderly, people with illnesses, pregnant women, workers whose contracts have expired, and students without accommodation due to dormitory closure.

The Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK sent staff to help the citizens with pre-departure procedures at the airport.

Security, safety and epidemiological hygiene measures were rigorously taken during the flight to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Upon their arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, all the crew members and passengers were given medical checkups and put under quarantine in line with regulations.

In the time to come, more repatriation flights will be arranged to bring Vietnamese citizens home, depending on their demand and domestic quarantine capacity.

US donates 100 brand-new ventilators to aid Vietnam’s COVID-19 response

The United States (US) government through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) donated 100 brand-new ventilators to Vietnam during a hand-over ceremony in Hanoi on September 30 to support its ongoing response to COVID-19.

The donation marks an important milestone in the Vietnam – US cooperation in healthcare as well as COVID-19 response, Vietnamese Acting Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said in his remarks at the event. The additional ventilators will help strengthen Vietnam’s treatment capacity, particularly for COVID-19 patients who need respiratory support, he said.

“The world is impressed by Vietnam’s strategy and proactive measures in tackling COVID-19,” US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink said, adding that this serious disease remains a threat in Vietnam and the world.

“Building on the strong relationship between our countries over the last 25 years, the US government is pleased to support our friends in Vietnam with this donation of ventilators to fight the coronavirus,” he said.

The ambassador further noted that the donation delivers on US President Donald Trump’s offer of these critical-needed supplies to reinforce Vietnam’s resilience against the virus.

In addition to the ventilators, the US Government, through USAID, has committed 9.5 million USD to Vietnam in response to the pandemic, which is helping to strengthen clinical care, disseminate health messages, build laboratory capacity, improve disease surveillance, as well as support private sector recovery by mitigating the impact of the pandemic on the Vietnamese economy.

Laos calls on people to continue COVID-19 prevention measures

The Lao Ministry of Health has urged authorities and people in this country to maintain vigilance, and continue implementing measures to prevent the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The ministry's September 30 statement said that authorities and people across the country need to remain vigilant and continue to comply with measures launched by the national steering committee for COVID- 19.

The ministry also advised people to adapt to a new normal state in order to prevent the spread of the disease. Residents should avoid leaving their homes for unnecessary reasons, wear masks when going out or going to public places, avoid using public transport, and regularly wash hands with soap.

The Lao Ministry of Health also required people to practice social distancing and keep a distance of 1-2 meters.

On the same day, Malaysia's Ministry of Health recorded 89 new COVID-19 cases, of which 86 were infected in the community, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 11,224. With two new deaths, the total number of fatalities by COVID-19 in the country increased to 136.

The ministry also announced that there were 28 more patients recovering from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 9,967.

Thailand to allow more foreign entries from October

Thailand's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has said it will allow more categories of foreigners to enter the country from October.

According to a statement of the CCSA, the agency has agreed to allow foreign athletes to enter Thailand for tournaments in a supervised area.

The first group will be international cyclists participating in the royal marathon cycling event, the centre said.

Non-immigrant visa holders, such as businesspeople who do not have any type of work permit, are now also allowed, but they must show that they have savings of at least 500,000 THB (15,782 USD) in the past six months, it stated.

The CCSA said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had also given the green light to the Special Tourist VISA (STV) scheme, which primarily targets foreign visitors with the intention to stay in Thailand on a long-term basis for nine months, to go ahead.

According to the centre, from October 8 onwards, around 150 verified foreigners would start arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport or Phuket Airport.

Separately, a group of 150 tourists from the Chinese city of Guangzhou will land in Phuket on October 8, before another group of 126 fly to Bangkok on October 25.

Also, 120 tourists from Scandinavia and other European countries on November 1 will arrive in Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight.

The CCSA said that these tourists will spend their first 14 days in Thailand at alternative state quarantine sites before they are allowed to travel on their own.

The Thai government previously decided to extend a grace period for visa renewals for foreigners stranded in Thailand until October 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telegraph: Vietnam takes pride in beating COVID-19 twice

The UK newswire The Telegraph has recently published an article, hailing Vietnam’s success in controlling the recent second wave of the coronavirus.

The article says unlike the first major outbreak that struck the country in March, the second outbreak in late July saw the government take a more local approach to avoid major economic damage.

Authorities imposed travel restrictions on Da Nang, a famous tourist destination in central Vietnam, after following the resurgence of the virus on July 25. All transport services to and from the city had been ceased, while non-essential services such as bars, karaoke salons and nightclubs had been banned.

Some similar measures had also been put in place in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and more than 10 other localities when the virus was detected.

Local administrations scrambled to carry out contact tracing and conduct massive COVID-19 tests to early detect and quarantine suspected cases.

These were the same tactics the Vietnamese government used earlier in the year when the virus first broke out, and they were extremely effective.
Another important aspect, according to the article, was mass communications, where the Department of Health sent routine text messages to all cell phone subscribers with health and safety advice and precautions. 

By the end of August, the Da Nang lockdown and aggressive testing and tracing elsewhere in the country had slowed the outbreak to a creep, and Vietnam has now passed more than three weeks with no detected community transmission ending that wave.

Domestic travel to and from the epicenter of the outbreak has resumed, and businesses in other major cities have resumed normal operations. 

The number of infections had increased more than a double, from 417 recorded during the first outbreak, to 1,069 by Sept. 25. But most of the patients have gone on to make a full recovery from the disease and only 40 active cases are receiving treatment at health facilities.

An air of confidence has returned to the streets. After successfully containing its first outbreak in March and April, Vietnam can now take pride in beating the coronavirus twice, the article concludes.  

Final COVID-19 patients in Hai Duong make full recovery

Three of the final novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients at Hai Duong Hospital for Tropical Diseases were discharged on September 30 after they had made a successful recovery from the disease.

Among them was patient No.972, an F1 case relating to a COVID-19 outbreak in Ngo Quyen street. The 34-year-old man had originally tested positive for the virus on August 17 and received treatment at the hospital until September 1, before being declared free of the virus and discharged from the infirmary.

He went home to undergo a period of quarantine for 14 days after being released from hospital, during which time he tested negative for the virus four times. However, when a fifth sample was taken from the patient on September 19, the test came back positive. He has since been receiving further treatment at the Hai Duong Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Upon their release from the hospital, all three patients will be placed into a quarantine facility for a period of 14 days in line with regulations relating to COVID-19 prevention and control.

Since late July, Hai Duong province has recorded a total of 25 positive COVID-19 cases, including 17 cases of community transmission.

In total, 109 individuals are being kept in concentrated quarantine facilities, while one case is undergoing a period of self-isolation at home.