COVID-19 in Vietnam, update on 5th May 2020

With no new COVID-19 cases reported today, Vietnam is continuing its streak of going 19 days without community transmissions. To add to the good news, 13 patients have been discharged from hospitals since yesterday, bringing the number of active cases down to only 39.

Meanwhile, with the domestic COVID-19 situation under control, Vietnam is also continuing to combat the pandemic on a global scale. Yesterday, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc agreed to provide Japan with 140,000 masks to help them contain the disease.

13 more COVID-19 recoveries


Patients discharged from the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases taking pictures with medical staff
(Photo for illustration purposes only, not of the 11 discharged this morning)
Image credit: National Hospital of Tropical Diseases

2 patients who had been receiving treatment at 2 hospitals in the northern provinces of Ninh Bình were declared free of the coronavirus and discharged yesterday. They are a 25-year-old woman who returned to Vietnam from Thailand on 20th March and a 27-year-old man who had been at the Bạch Mai Hospital, formerly Vietnam’s biggest COVID-19 cluster.

11 others have also been discharged this morning from the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, including 2 relapse cases and an 88-year-old woman who had previously been in critical condition.

With this latest development, Vietnam has now cured 232 out of 271 total COVID-19 patients, leaving only 39 active cases at the moment.

Previously discharged COVID-19 patient died from liver cirrhosis

Image credit: National Hospital of Tropical Diseases

Yesterday, it was announced that an elderly man who had previously contracted COVID-19 had unfortunately passed away. This sparked rumors in the community that he had died from the disease, but the Ministry of Health has affirmed that this is not the case.

Prior to testing positive for COVID-19 on 7th April, the man had already been hospitalized at the Hà Nam General Hospital due to several other health problems including liver cirrhosis and severe gout. After his test came back positive for the coronavirus, he was moved to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi for quarantine and treatment.

Later, on 17th April, he was declared free of COVID-19 after testing negative 4 times in a row and transferred back to Hà Nam General Hospital to continue his treatment of liver cirrhosis. Sadly, he couldn’t make it and passed away on Friday. The patient did not have any symptoms of lung damage caused by COVID-19 prior to his death, according to doctors.

So far, Vietnam has not reported any fatalities related to COVID-19.

Vietnam to provide 140,000 masks to Japan


Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tô Anh Dũng (third from right) and European country representatives in a medical supply handover ceremony early April.
Image credit: Thời sự VTV

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc had a phone call with Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo yesterday. During the call, Mr. Phúc thanked the Japanese government for granting Vietnam a fund of USD1,800,000 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to provide the latter with 140,000 masks to return the favor.

This is not the first time Vietnam has contributed to the global effort to fend off the pandemic. Over the past couple of months, it has donated billions worth of medical supplies to several countries including the US, Russia, the UK, and many European countries.

Vietnam in the fight against COVID-19

Not only has Vietnam done a great job in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic within its borders, but it has also been active in lending a helping hand to countries in need. Hopefully, we can see the situation brightening on a global scale in the near future.

For more COVID-19 news, check out:

Cover image adapted from: Ninh Bình General Hospital

Enjoying The Smart Local Vietnam? Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for more stories like this.

Drop us your email so you won't miss the latest news.