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Hanoi’s recovered Covid-19 patient tests positive again

February 25, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

Hanoi’s recovered Covid-19 patient tests positive again

The Saigon Times

A quarantine facility in Hanoi. A 48-year-old Covid-19 patient in Hanoi who had recovered has tested positive again – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – A 48-year-old Covid-19 patient from Hanoi who had recovered has tested positive again, according to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The patient, who resides in the capital city’s Cau Giay District, will be taken to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases for another round of quarantine and treatment.

Earlier, the patient was being quarantined and treated at the hospital from January 30 to February 20. She was discharged on February 21 after having tested negative for the coronavirus three times.

On February 24, she had her samples collected for Covid-19 testing and the result came back positive.

Up to now, Vietnam has reported many recovered coronavirus patients testing positive again, but none of them caused community transmission after recovery.

Malaysian parliament may convene during emergency

February 25, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

People wait for their turn for COVID-19 testing in Malaysia (Photo: Reuters)

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Malaysian parliament may convene during the emergency period as approved by the country’s King, according to a palace statement on February 24.

Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the matter was decided following Sultan Abdullah’s meeting with the speakers of the upper and lower house on the same day.

The parliament will resume on a date deemed suitable by the King, taking into consideration the advice of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, the statement said.

The consent of the Malaysian King to the advice of the PM on the declaration of the Emergency Proclamation on January 12 is a proactive measure to contain the COVID-19.

The state of emergency is due to run until August 1. Malaysia has the third highest COVID-19 tally in Southeast Asia, following Indonesia and the Philippines, posting over 290,000 cases and 1,088 fatalities./.

VNA

Int’l assistance important to Central African Republic issues: Ambassador

February 25, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

At the videoconference (Photo: VNA)

New York (VNA) – Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy , Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, on February 24 underscored the importance of international assistance in the conflict-affected Central African Republic at an UN Security Council (UNSC) videoconference, which discussed ongoing violence in the country.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix , UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, told the conference that the Central African Republic has continued to suffer from violence despite the announcement of the official result of the presidential election in December 2020.

Citing important progress in recent weeks in combating the armed coalition group known as Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement, he said the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is providing security to thousands of internally displaced persons, while also supporting efforts to safeguard the democratic order.

The Central African Republic has now become the most dangerous place for humanitarian work, with over 46 percent of worldwide incidents registered by international non-governmental organisations reported in the country.

In his speech, Quy said Vietnam backs the recent efforts of the UN as well as of regional and subregional organisations, including the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, to support the Central African Republic.

He took the occasion to urge all concerned parties to resolve differences in a peaceful manner. This effort towards political stability and reconciliation must go hand in hand with the promotion of trust and confidence, he noted.

Calling for the sides involved to respect the election results and handle differences through dialogues, representatives from other UNSC members stressed the importance of implementing the 2019 peace agreement between the local government and armed groups to facilitate long-term political measures.

They supported the efforts made by the African Union and the MINUSCA in the matter./.

VNA

Vietnamese leaders extend congratulations on Japanese Emperor’s birthday

February 24, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Japanese Emperor Naruhito (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong has extended a message of congratulations to Japanese Emperor Naruhito on his 61st birthday on February 23.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also sent a congratulatory message to his Japanese counterpart Suga Yoshihide.

On the occasion, Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh congratulated Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu.

Naruhito became the 126th Emperor of Japan on May 1, 2019, starting the new imperial era of Reiwa.

After Vietnam and Japan established diplomatic ties on September 21, 1973, the bilateral relationship has experienced rapid development over the past years.

Japan has been a leading important economic partner of Vietnam, becoming the largest official development assistance (ODA) provider, second biggest investor, third largest tourism partner and fourth largest trade partner of the Southeast Asian country./.

VNA

COVID-19: Seven additional local infections recorded in Hai Duong

February 25, 2021 by vov.vn

Seven of the latest patients are in Hai Duong province, the epicentre of the nation’s most recent COVID-19 outbreak. Each of the individuals are F1 contacts that came into close contact with previously-confirmed COVID-19 patients.

The one remaining imported case is a 25-year-old woman who is being isolated to receive treatment at the General Hospital based in Tay Ninh province after her test result came back positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Following the detection of seven new cases, the number of locally-transmitted cases in Hai Duong, the nation’s largest COVID-19 hotspot, reached 643 since the virus was first detected in the country late last month.

Among the patients currently undergoing treatment, a total of 196 cases have since tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus at least once, with the majority recording negative results either two or three times.

Furthermore, both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s two major cities, are poised to allow schools to reopen from early March after recording no fresh COVID-19 cases in recent days.

Elsewhere, the northern province of Thanh Hoa recorded as many as 2,146 cases returning from Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, and other pandemic-hit localities, all of which are under health observation after testing negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

At present, the country has registered a total of 2,400 positive COVID-19 cases, including 1,520 community cases of the virus, 900 imported ones alongside 1,804 recoveries.

Seven batches of COVID-19 vaccines set to arrive in Vietnam

February 25, 2021 by vov.vn

The initial batch of 117,000 COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca arrived in the country on February 24. They are to be prioritised specifically for those on the frontline of the fight against the pandemic, including medical workers, doctors, nurses, contact tracers, and officials on COVID-19 prevention and control committees.

The second batch, expected to arrive within the first half of this year, will be made up of 1.5 million additional doses, of which 1.2 million will be provided by COVAX, with the rest made up of those by AstraZeneca. These doses will also be prioritised for those on the frontline of the fight against the pandemic, with the addition of diplomatic personnel, customs officers, immigration officers, and soldiers.

The third batch is set to arrive within the second quarter and will include 8.2 million additional doses from AstraZeneca. Soldiers who have are not inoculated during the second wave of vaccines, along with police officers, teachers, and the elderly, those aged 80 and above, will be vaccinated during this period.

The fourth batch is expected to arrive within the third quarter and will consist of 10.9 million doses, including 3.6 million from COVAX with the remainder coming from AstraZeneca. At this point, the elderly who have not been vaccinated, along with those working in essential businesses and those suffering from chronic conditions, will be inoculated.

The fifth batch is anticipated to arrive between the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2022, and will be made up of 14.4 million doses by AstraZeneca for those suffering from chronic conditions and those who have not yet been vaccinated.

The sixth batch will come within the same time frame as the fifth and will include 25.2 million COVAX doses for those with chronic conditions and individuals who have not yet been vaccinated, along with those aged between 65 and 80.

The final batch is set to arrive between the second quarter and fourth quarter of 2022 and will be made up of 90.5 million doses from both foreign and domestic producers. They will be administered to those aged between 65 and 80, in addition to those who have not been vaccinated, along with those aged 18 and above who have not been included in the aforementioned priority list.

According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, vaccines should be prioritised for citizens in areas hit by outbreaks, with the Health Ministry and other relevant agencies being responsible for managing the purchase, import, and distribution of vaccines.