Vietnam Covid-19 Updates (March 1): More Than 94,000 Cases Recorded in Single Day

Photo: Zing News

Vietnam posts 94,385 Covid-19 cases on February 28

Vietnam’s daily count of coronavirus surpassed the 90,000 case mark on February 28, hitting an all-time high of 94,385, the Ministry of Health reported in its coronavirus update at 06.00 pm. The newly detected infections, recorded in 61 cities and provinces nationwide, marked an increase of 7,410 cases compared to the previous day.

Of the total, 70% were diagnosed in the community, nine tested positive upon returning from overseas, and the remainder were detected in the lockdown or quarantine areas.

February 28 saw most of the cases (more than 71,000) reported in the north. Official data from the Ministry of Health show Hanoi capital topped localities in infection numbers, registering 12,850 cases. The city has suspended face-to-face learning for students of various grades amid Covid-19 fears in the community.

Hanoi was followed by Quang Ninh that reported 9,105 new cases, Bac Ninh 3,572, Hung Yen 3,309, and Lao Cai 3,233. Quang Ninh also registered to add 28,095 cases recorded in the past few days to the national database.

The past 24 hours also saw Ho Chi Minh City which used to be the largest coronavirus hotspot last summer confirm a surge in daily caseload at 1,790. Elsewhere, 3,935 more cases were announced in Nghe An alone, the highest figure in the central locality. On the same day, the Ministry of Health also announced an additional 27,039 recoveries and 108 more coronavirus-related deaths in localities across the country.

Photo: QDND

The expiry date of Cuba’s Abdala vaccine extended

The Ministry of Health has announced the extension of an additional three months to the shelf-life of Cuba’s Abdala vaccine against Covid-19. On October 8, 2021, the Ministry of Health issued Decision No. 4749/QD-BYT on conditional approval of the Abdala vaccine for urgent needs in the prevention and control of the pandemic. According to the producer’s instructions for use, the shelf life is six months at storage conditions of two to eight degrees Celsius.

Like other Covid-19 vaccines, the Abdala vaccine is researched and approved on a rolling basis, meaning it is approved for completed portions while the manufacturer continues doing research on others.

According to the Ministry of Health's statement on February 28, based on additional studies assessing the stability related to the vaccine's shelf life, Vietnam’s specialized agencies have considered and appraised it.

Specifically, on February 23, the Drug Administration of Vietnam agreed to increase the shelf life of the Abdala vaccine from six months to nine months at storage conditions of two to eight degrees Celsius. The Ministry of Health affirmed that increasing the shelf life of the Abdala vaccine would not change the quality, safety, and effectiveness of the vaccine.

Photo: Suc Khoe & Doi Song

Reliefs were delivered to children orphaned by Covid-19 in HCM City

Some 170 relief packages, worth 270 million VND (11,830 USD) in total, were given to children orphaned by Covid-19 in Ho Chi Minh City in the program “Sharing love and hope” held by the municipal People’s Council chapter in Thu Duc city.

Addressing the February 27 event, Cao Thanh Binh, head of the socio-economic committee of the HCM City People’s Council, said children were the most vulnerable during the fourth wave of Covid-19 that struck HCM City last year. Many children had lost a parent or both to Covid-19, or been without caregivers because their parent(s) contracted Covid-19 and must go into treatment or quarantine, he said.

Becoming orphans adversely affects children’s physical and mental development, Binh noted, adding that they will be at a great disadvantage when it comes to living and studying conditions.

The entire society needs to join hands to care for them and help them overcome difficulties, he emphasized. Similar charitable events are scheduled to take place in other parts of HCM City throughout 2022. So far, more than 800 million VND (USD 35,051) has been spent to deliver relief to factory workers, poor households, and children hit by the pandemic as part of the program. Impoverished people, especially senior residents, have also received free health check-ups and medicine.

Photo: Zing

Pandemic-hit firms to enjoy preferential interest rate credit package

Loans of pandemic-hit enterprises will enjoy an interest rate cut of 2 percent under a government support package to remove difficulties for the businesses. The total preferential interest rate package is worth VND 40 trillion (USD 1.75 billion), which comes from the State budget.

The proposal was drafted in the State Bank of Vietnam's (SBV)’s decree on interest rate support from the State budget for loans to enterprises, cooperatives, and business households, which has been made public for comment.

According to the draft, beneficiaries of the preferential interest rate credit package are enterprises, cooperatives, and business households in aviation, transportation, warehousing, tourism, accommodation-food services, education training, agriculture, forestry, fishery, industry, manufacturing, processing, software, computer programming, and IT industries.

Besides, businesses, whose loans are used for the purpose of building houses to sell or rent to workers, social houses, and renovating old apartment buildings on the list of projects announced by the Ministry of Construction, will also be beneficiaries.

Under the draft, loans of the borrowers, which have been disbursed from January 11, 2022, to December 31, 2023, will enjoy the interest rate cut. However, the borrowers will not be supported by the interest rate cut if their loans have overdue principal balances or late payment interest.

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