Coronavirus

Developed by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC and the Military Medical University, Nanocovax is Vietnam’s first COVID-19 vaccine to reach the human trial stage.

The 35 volunteers were chosen among about 300 people who registered to participate in the second-stage trial of the vaccine at the University after undergoing rigorous medical examinations.  They are divided into three groups for receiving three different doses of 25mcg, 50mcg and 75mcg, and one group with five people getting placebo.

According to a representative from the University, a total 560 volunteers, aged 18-60, including those with several diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes, among others, will participate in the second-stage trial, which is carried out in Hanoi and the Mekong Delta province of Long An.

Lieutenant-General Do Quyet, Director of the Military Medical University, said since the trial sees the participation of volunteers with underlying health conditions, competent authorities have been prepared for all scenarios and ensure safety for all volunteers.

Results of the trial will be announced in May 2021 before preparing for the third-stage trial during which only one single shot of the vaccine will be administered to 10,000-15,000 people from both domestic and foreign pandemic-hit regions, Quyet added.

Present at the second-stage trial of Nano Covax at Military Medical University, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam encouraged the volunteers and the medical workers, while expressing his firm belief in the ability of the Vietnamese scientists in successfully developing COVID-19 vaccines.

The first-stage trial of the Nano Covax vaccine showed that it is likely to be effective against B117 variant from the UK.

Vietnam is one among 40 countries in the world that have started human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine, after successfully producing coronavirus test kits early into the pandemic.

The country also has several other COVID-19 candidate vaccines being developed, which are IVAC by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals, VABIOTECH by the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No 1, and POLYVAC by the Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals.

Source: VNA

The municipal People’s Committee has ordered continued closure of dance halls, bars, karaoke parlours, pubs, beer clubs, and facilities for indoor sports activities like gym, fitness, billiards, and yoga centres.

Others not included in this list can be reopened but have to carry out all anti-coronavirus measures regulated by health authorities.

Besides, the set of safety assessment criteria in COVID-19 prevention and control must be seriously implemented in the fields of tourism, transport, and restaurant services, as well as at wholesale and retail markets, supermarkets, trade centres, relic sites, and libraries.

A distance of at least one metre from each other must be kept in those activities, and food service supplying establishments are not permitted to serve more than 30 people at the same time, according to the administration.

Meanwhile, religious activities and rituals at local places of worship can take place with no more than 50 participants at the same time. They also have to comply with other disease prevention measures regulated by the health sector, the People’s Committee said.

Earlier, the committee also permitted schools across the city to be reopened from March 1.

On February 23, the lockdown on an apartment block in Ward 13 of Tan Binh district was lifted. This was the last of the 35 sealed-off sites that had their COVID-19 lockdown removed in HCM City.

Source: VNA

An inspection team for pandemic prevention led by Quang Ninh Provincial Party’s Committee Secretary, cum Chairman of Provincial People’s Council, Nguyen Xuan Ky made a survey in the aiport on February 20.

The province’s leader highly appreciated the aiport’s efforts to control the pandemic and reduce the spread of Covid-19 to get ready for reopening.

He asked Van Don Airport’s leadership to continue to strictly implement prevention measures to ensure the safety of passengers and employees.

After reoperation, the airport plans to resume routes connecting Van Don and HCMC to meet passengers’ travel demand as well as receive repatriation flights for Vietnamese citizens and foreign specialists to enter Vietnam to work.

After arriving at the aiport, passengers on flights carrying experts are required to submit health declaration form, take temperature checks, wash their hands, wear masks and keep a safe distance. After completing entry procedures, arrivals will be sent to quarantine facilities.

Travelers on commercial flights have to implement online health declaration, take temperature checks, wash their hands and wear masks. The disinfection of terminals and high-touch surfaces is carried out daily

Dozens of employees at Van Don International Airport were found infected with the novel coronavirus because they were linked to the 1,553rd patient who is an employee of the airport.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc decided to close down Van Don Airport for 15 days after many locally-transmitted cases of COVID-19 were confirmed.

On January 28, Minister of Transport signed a decision on shutting down the airport from midday on January 29 to midday on February 13. The CAAV then proposed the Ministry of Transport to extend the closure of the airport until February 21. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) then suggested that the airfield should be extended its closure from 12:01 p.m. on February 21 to 6 a.m. on March 3 to prevent further spreading of Covid-19.