Buzz
While domestic outbreaks are currently relatively stable, the situation in the western border areas with Cambodia is becoming increasingly complex due to a surge in returning individuals. The issue here is that many people want to return home but are reluctant to undergo quarantine measures, so they try to find ways to sneak through unofficial routes. The risk of outbreaks caused by positive cases returning in this manner is significant. Therefore, efforts to control the epidemic in border regions are being intensified, as the western provinces lack the experience in epidemic control compared to the northern border provinces.
Situation in Vietnam
Bac Lieu Province has identified 1 community transmission case after conducting random testing in Soc Trang. The initial report does not specify the source of transmission for this case.
Dong Thap Province has temporarily suspended classes for students in 3 border areas next week as authorities have not yet traced the illegal border-crossing motorbike taxi driver who later tested positive.
In Gia Lai, one individual has tested positive for the virus again after being declared recovered for 7 days. Currently, a residential area and cluster are under lockdown for testing purposes.
Kien Giang province reports 13 imported cases with abnormal test results, undergoing confirmation testing. 182 close contacts have been placed under centralized quarantine and testing.
Hai Duong suspends the operation of field hospital No. 1 and transfers patients to field hospital No. 3 to vacate space for the Chi Linh Medical Center to treat non-COVID-19 cases.
Hai Phong plans to resume in-person classes on March 8. Workers entering Hai Phong from epidemic-affected areas must undergo testing at checkpoints and test negative before starting work. Those from Hai Duong must also test negative before entering Hai Phong and undergo centralized quarantine and testing. The city has removed checkpoints for goods vehicles from Hai Duong to facilitate the flow of goods.
Yesterday in Cao Bằng, a group of 13 individuals were discovered returning via a secret trail to evade quarantine. They have all been taken to centralized quarantine and tested.
Vietnam's second vaccine variant, Covivac, has been assessed by the Ministry of Health to be effective against the virus. The highlight of this vaccine is its very low cost, at only about 60,000 dong per dose.
Tonight, we report an additional 16 new cases, including 12 in the outbreak hotspot of Hải Dương, and 4 cases among incoming travelers who have also been immediately quarantined.
Global Situation
The United States has officially approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to broaden vaccination options for its citizens. The EMA is also expected to approve this vaccine type soon.
Wales has announced that they have administered over 1 million doses of vaccine to their population. Of these, over 900 thousand people have received the first dose, equivalent to 38% of the population, and nearly 90 thousand people have received both doses.
The funeral of Mr. Tom Moore, the 100-year-old veteran who raised over £39 million to aid the UK's healthcare system during last year's pandemic, was solemnly conducted with high-level ceremonial rituals including a flypast and firing party after he also succumbed to and passed away from the virus.
All families with school-aged children will be supported with two rounds of rapid testing per person every week.
Italy is tightening measures against COVID-19 in 5 out of 20 regions nationwide after scientists warned that cases of the new variant of the virus are on the rise again.
Germany is considering and may soon encourage the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65 in the country.
The Prime Minister of Greece is very optimistic as he declares they are nearing victory in the battle against the pandemic.
The Prime Minister of Greece is highly optimistic as he just declared that the country is nearing victory in the fight against COVID-19. However, many areas in the country are still under lockdown orders, requiring people to text authorities for permission before going out. It is expected that restaurants may reopen on March 16.A group of athletes and gym owners in the capital city of Riga, Latvia, protested by exercising outdoors against lockdown measures preventing them from opening their doors.The Prime Minister of Poland has presented a 5-step plan to recover the country after the pandemic. Approximately 4.4 billion Euros will be allocated to restructure the healthcare system, and a similar amount will be used for economic recovery and new projects.A shipment of vaccines donated from Romania arrived in Moldova yesterday. This batch consists of AstraZeneca vaccines, intended for healthcare workers.Russia has commenced trials of booster shots using the Sputnik V vaccine to assess its efficacy against new strains, with initial results showing promising signs.Ukraine reported an oxygen tank explosion at a hospital in the city of Chernivtsi, which was designated for treating critically ill patients. The incident resulted in one fatality and one injury.The Palestinian authorities announced that schools in the West Bank will be closed for 12 days to halt the rapidly increasing spread of the virus in recent days.New Zealand's Prime Minister announced that Auckland will enter another lockdown period for 7 days.Today, 300 thousand doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in Sydney and will undergo testing before being administered on March 8. Previously, Australia used the Pfizer vaccine in its vaccination campaign.Argentinian citizens protest against the lockdown measures and demand more government support due to the pandemic.
Yesterday marked the fifth consecutive day Brazil reported over 1,300 deaths and more than 60,000 new cases each day. The country is experiencing its second wave outbreak with no signs of abating.Today, Thailand commenced its vaccination campaign after receiving 200 thousand doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China and 117 thousand doses of AstraZeneca last week.The President of the Philippines has extended pandemic measures in the capital Manila as cases resurge.South Africa has received its second batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Two weeks prior, they received the first batch for healthcare workers.https://twitter.com/DrZweliMkhize/status/1365538980532518913?s=20The Vatican Ambassador to Iraq, appointed as the precursor for the upcoming visit of the Pope to the country from March 5-8, has tested positive for the virus. However, the Pope's visit plans will proceed as scheduled.Sources: CNN, WHO, suckhoedoisong, SCMP, JHU, Tuổi trẻ, Tiền phong
