World’s most successful nation in combating Covid-19: Vietnam after national social distancing
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Dr. Maria van Kerkhove congratulates Wuhan for clearing coronavirus cases (Photo: Reuters)

Coronavirus today update: The World Health Organization congratulates Wuhan for clearing coronavirus cases

Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, the technical lead for the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, has congratulated the Chinese city of Wuhan for having no severe coronavirus cases left.

Wuhan was ground zero for the country's coronavirus outbreak and was placed under lockdown in January. The lockdown only lifted in April.

“It is welcome news to hear that there are no severe cases from Wuhan. That city has had the hardest hit early on," van Kerkhove said. "Nothing but admiration and thanks for the tireless efforts of the people of Wuhan."

She also praised residents who followed emergency measures and stayed at home.

"We take our hats off to you and thank you for your commitment and service and sharing with us in the world what you have been able to do," CNN quoted her as saying.

Coronavirus live update: Worldwide, the number of confirmed infections stands above 3.35 million, with nearly 239,000 deaths and approximately 1.05 million recoveries.

Medical staff examine samples for Covid-19 tests at a quick testing station in Hanoi's Dong Da District, April 2020 (Photo: VNE)

Coronavirus today update: CDC official says US reacted too slowly to curb coronavirus

The US government was slow to react to the looming coronavirus pandemic as it spread from Europe, which led to rocketing rates of infection and death in the country, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was quoted by New York Post as saying.

Anne Schuchat, the second in command at the CDC, said a lack of testing and a delay in travel alerts contributed to the galloping spread of COVID-19 in the US.

The coronavirus was first detected in China late last year but the US has since become the global epicenter of the virus, with more than one million confirmed cases and over 65,000 deaths.

The CDC published an article written by Schuchat last week re-examining the US government’s response to the coronavirus. She says the country’s top public health agencies missed the opportunity to halt the spread of the disease.

Although President Trump halted travel of any foreign nationals who had been in China on Feb. 2, Schuchat said more than 2 million people arrived from Italy and other European countries in February, fueling the spread of the coronavirus.

The worst-hit country in the world as of May 3 records at least 1,137,144 infections, 66,261 lives have been claimed. New York and New Jersey are the two most vulnerable states.

Coronavirus live update: Iran reports lowest virus infections since March 10

Iran said Saturday there was a "clear drop" in the number of new coronavirus infections as it reported 802 fresh cases, the lowest daily count since March 10.

The new cases brought to 96,448 the number recorded in Iran since it announced its first cases in mid-February.

"This shows a clear drop in the number of new infections compared to recent weeks, despite our active testing," health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said on state television.

He added that 77,350 of those hospitalised have since been discharged, claiming it is a "one of the highest recovery percentages in the world."

New deaths from COVID-19 rose slightly to 65 in the past 24 hours, reaching a total of 6,156, the Jakarta post quoted Jahanpour as saying.

Coronavirus live update: Spain eases strict lockdown conditions

All Spaniards on Saturday (May 2) were allowed to go for walks or play sport, after 48 days of home confinement to combat the coronavirus in one of the worst-hit countries.

Spain's nearly 47 million people have since Mar 14 lived under one of the strictest virus lockdowns in the world, with adults authorised to leave home only to buy food, medicine or walk the dog.

The lockdown was prolonged late last month until May 9, but Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday unveiled a plan to gradually begin easing the restrictions in four phases that should be completed by the end of June.

As part of that, children under 14 were last week allowed to step outside for walks. And the restrictions were further eased on Saturday.

In Madrid, cyclists and skateboarders streamed along the city's wide boulevards, ducking under police tape set up to prevent people congregating in common areas, CNA reported.

With over 215,000 cases and almost 25,000 deaths, Spain is one of the worst-hit countries in the world.

Despite the easing of the lockdown, many restrictions remained. In towns of more than 5,000 inhabitants, children and the elderly cannot leave home at the same times, according to France 24.

The time slots of 10am to midday and 7pm until 8pm are reserved for people over 70 and those they need to accompany them.

From 6am to 10am and from 8pm to 11 pm, adolescents of over 14 and adults can leave to go for walks of less than one kilometre (about half a mile)from their homes, but only two at a time from the same household.

People exercise along an esplanade in Barcelona, early on May 2, 2020, during the hours allowed by the government to exercise, for the first time since the beginning of a national lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease (Photo: AFP)

Coronavirus today update: Masks on public transport to be compulsory in Spain from Monday

Spain will make mask-wearing obligatory on public transport as of Monday, the prime minister said, outlining plans to relax the strict, seven-week lockdown.

The government will hand out millions of masks to reduce the risk of contagion, Pedro Sánchez said in an address to the nation on Saturday afternoon.

He pleaded with Spaniards to exercise responsibility when the next phase towards ending the lockdown begins on Monday. Thousands of lives will be at stake if hygiene and social distancing measures are not practiced, Mr Sánchez said.

People will be able to pick up takeaway food from restaurants and visit shops by appointment, as of Monday.

Spaniards took to the streets on Saturday as they were allowed to exercise and take walks outside for the first time since the lockdown was imposed in mid-March.

The prime minister added that the government would be requesting a further two-week extension of the state of alarm, the extraordinary legal order underpinning the lockdown.

The government is to establish a €16bn fund to help Spain’s regions rebuild the economy. Spain is campaigning for the EU to agree a €1.5tn Europe wide-recovery fund based on grants, not loans, Financial Times reported.

Coronavirus today update: Russia's daily case tally hits new high

Russia reported 9,623 new cases of the coronavirus, its highest daily rise, bringing the total to 124,054, mostly in the capital Moscow, where the mayor threatened to cut the number of travel permits.

The nationwide death toll rose to 1,222 after 57 people died in the last 24 hours, Russia's coronavirus crisis response centre said, after revising the previous day's tally, as reported by Reuters.

Russia has been in partial lockdown, aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus, since the end of March. In Moscow, people who have not obtained a special permit for free movement, are only able to leave their homes to shop, walk their dogs and dispose of garbage.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the restrictive measures, called non-working days, to continue until May 11 inclusive, when the country finishes celebrating the Labour Day and Victory Day holidays.

Highest one-day rise recorded in Vietnam (Photo: ANI)

India extends lockdown for two more weeks

The Indian government said the world's biggest coronavirus lockdown will be extended for two weeks beyond May 4, but with some easing of restrictions.

The home ministry said in a statement that in view of "significant gains in the COVID-19 situation", areas with few or no cases would see "considerable relaxations".

The stringent restrictions have been credited with keeping confirmed cases of coronavirus to about 37,000 cases, with 1,223 deaths.

Coronavirus today update: ASEAN countries reported more than 47,000 cases in total

Southeast Asia recorded an additional 1,007 nCoV cases, bringing the number of people infected in the whole region to 47,185, of which 1,614 have died.

Singapore, the largest epidemic region in the region, reported an additional 447 people positive for nCoV, of which only 4 are Singapore citizens and permanent residents, the rest are migrant workers living in dormitories. This is the ninth consecutive day the number of daily infections in Singapore is less than 1,000, bringing the total number of nCoVs in the country to 17,548.

Singapore currently reports 16 deaths from nCoV, while 1,268 people have recovered. The government announced it would relax some restrictive measures over the next few weeks to gradually reopen the economy. Some activities, such as home-based business, laundry or hairdressing services, will be allowed to reopen on May 12. Students will be able to return to school in small groups from May 19.

Indonesia, the nation with the highest number of nCoV deaths in Southeast Asia, today reported an additional 31 cases, bringing the total number of deaths nationwide to 831. The number of deaths in the country stands at 10,843, an increase of 292 cases.

Experts fear the actual death toll in Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, could be much higher than statistics due to testing limits. The country has tested more than 79,800 people.

The Philippines recorded an additional 156 cases and 24 deaths due to nCoV, bringing the total number of cases and deaths to 8,928 and 603 respectively.

Coronavirus live update: Nearly 10,000 inmates freed as virus hits Philippine jails

Nearly 10,000 prison inmates have been released in the Philippines as the country races to halt coronavirus infections in its overcrowded jails, a Supreme Court official said.

The move follows a directive to lower courts to release those awaiting trial in prison because they could not afford bail, Associate Supreme Court Justice Mario Victor Leonen told reporters.

"The court is very much aware of the congested situation in our prisons," Leonen told Al Jazeera’s reporters as he announced the release of 9,731 inmates.

(Photo: The Guardian Nigeria)

Malaysia recorded 105 more cases, the highest daily increase from April 16, bringing the total number of people infected with nCoV nationwide to 6,176. The number of deaths in the country remains at 103, no increase in the past 24 hours. The number of people recovering in the country is 1,124, an increase of 40 compared to yesterday.

Thailand detected 6 more cases of nCoV, bringing the total to 2,966, marking the sixth day in a row that the number of new cases was below 10. The counVietnam, Cambodia, East Timor and Laos are the countries that have not recorded any deaths due to nCoV. The number of cases in these countries with Myanmar and Brunei has not changed in the last 24 hours.

Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor and Laos are the countries that have not recorded any deaths due to nCoV. The number of cases in these countries with Myanmar and Brunei has not changed in the last 24 hours.

200.000 jobs for Vietnamese unemployees to overcome COVID-19 pandemic A 200,000-job-opportunity project named “Thousands of jobs in hand to fight against COVID-19" has been kicked off recently aiming to support employees and enterprises to overcome the pandemic.

COVID-19: France grants aid to Vietnam and four other Southeast Asian countries The French Development Agency (AFD) has announced an aid of EUR 2 million (USD 2.19 million) for the COVID-19 pandemic response in five Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam.

Vietnamese young man nearly a decade offers free meals to poor people After witnessing an old woman picking up wasted food in trash, Loc ‘buffalo’ decided to feed the poor people with delicious meals cooked by himself. ...