In a press conference taking place in Geneva at nearly 3am of January 31 (Vietnam time), the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that an outbreak of new strain of corona virus (2019-nCoV) from China is a “global medical emergency.”
Today is a dark day because the number of people infected by the disease increased horribly by 1,660 people and the death toll increased by 42 people compared to yesterday.
Wuhan Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) has spread to 24 countries and territories, with 9,923 people infected and 213 deaths by 10:00 GMT on January 31, 2020.
As of Thursday, Hubei Province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, with 32,340 people being monitored for suspected infection. A total of 804 patients were in serious condition and 290 in critical condition.
On January 31, the UK reported the first 2 cases of coronavirus infection.
The total number of cases surpassed that caused by SARS which affected 8,096 people worldwide
After Wuhan, Huangjiang and Zauzhou cities were also quarantined. This means more than 18 million people have been isolated. It is expected that in the coming days, the situation will be more gloomy when the epidemic reaches its peak.
When declaring a global medical emergency, WHO’s director general also mentioned Vietnam “The spread of this new virus from person to person has been recorded in at least 3 countries, including Vietnam, Germany, and Japan.”
“Let me be clear, this statement does not mean that we do not trust China. What we are most concerned about is the possibility that this virus will spread to countries with weaker health systems.”
The WHO Director-General also named Vietnam: “The spread of this new virus from person to person has been reported in at least 3 countries, including Vietnam, Germany, and Japan.”
A global medical emergency or Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
is an official WHO statement issued by the Emergency Committee for the international health regulations (IHR) about a crisis which has global impacts.
However, Tedros stressed that there is no reason to restrict tourism or trade with China because of the “corona virus.”
This is the 6th time that WHO has declared a global medical emergency.
Many Vietnamese people are startled that Vietnam has signed an agreement with China, which stipulates that when Vietnam wants to close the Vietnam-China border, there must be an agreement between both sides, unilaterally Vietnam cannot immediately decide, Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh told the local media, saying that the corona virus situation was not dangerous enough to close the borders with China.
In Germany, which has the world’s leading health, but only due to the appearance of a Chinese woman from Wuhan, now 5 people have been infected from a colleague from China for training in Bayern.
Russia has declared closing its border with China, although no cases have been detected in Russia. All 16 border gates with China are blocked, including rail. Many countries around the world have canceled flights to China or Hubei province indefinitely.
While many experts fear Vietnam will be the hardest-hit country after China, local people are gathering in spring festivals. The image of a sea of people hustling in Bai Dinh today speaks to the public’s disregard for the Coronavirus disaster and the irresponsible floating of the authorities when the weather and climate in Vietnam this season is ideal for outbreaks of new virus species.
Video recording Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh was opening the Bai Dinh pagoda festival amid the dangerous pandemic coronavirus that already attacking Vietnam
Hanoians fiercely compete each other to grab face masks on January 31, likely Hanoi is a epicenter of the pneumonia disease caused by nCoV virus from China.
Previously, many drugstores sold out of medical masks while in other places, their prices were risen by 10-20 times from VND25,000 /box to VND300,000/box but supply does not meet demand.
Receiving information, market management forces were present at the scene for checking and handling – However, the influx of customers coming to buy masks makes “drug market” overloaded.
On the evening of January 31, the Department of Information and Communications of Ho Chi Minh City said that next week they will invite artists Cat Phuong, Ngo Thanh Van and Dam Vinh Hung to work for “giving false information about the acute pneumonia epidemic which caused psychological confusion for the community.”
Earlier, on January 26, Dam Vinh Hung’s fanpage shared information that two Chinese people infected with corona virus died at Cho Ray Hospital. This is false information. This post was later deleted by Dam Vinh Hung fanpage, leaving only the warning about the risk of disease.
The representative of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications stated that the department will strictly handle according to the Cyber Security Law for organizations and individuals that give inaccurate information about coronary pneumonia.
Regarding the declaration of an emergency, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Health to coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to prepare a legal basis to be ready to declare a state of emergency when WHO declares a state of emergency on a global scale.
The Prime Minister noted that it is strictly forbidden official and unofficial border crossing, stoping Vietnamese from going to work in China, and request the Foreign Ministry to negotiate with China to take back Vietnamese citizens from outbreak spots in China.
Along with that, monitor thousands of Chinese people who came back to Vietnam after returning to their home country for the Lunar New Year festival, stop tourist activities and flights from and to China.
The Prime Minister asked to suspend visa issuance for tourists unless for public affairs.
He has also asked to halt people gathering, including spring festivals which have not been started.
On January 31, the Ministry of Education and Training issued a quick dispatch to the departments of education in provinces and cities. Accordingly, the disease of acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of corona virus (nCoV) is complicated. The World Health Organization has declared the corona virus epidemic “a global medical emergency.”
In case of necessity, the directors of the education and training departments, universities, institutes, principals of pedagogical universities, colleges and intermediate schools shall consider and decide on temporary holidays for pupils and students and make up plans for educational programs.
Propagating children, pupils, students, teachers, lecturers, officials, school staff about epidemics and preventive measures, ways to self-monitor health, and report when suspicious signs appear; encourage wearing a mask when going to school and participating in extracurricular activities.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has made two direct suggestions to China on sending a team of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to Wuhan City to join Chinese health workers in battle against the pneumonia caused by nCoV virus.
After two unsuccessful proposals, Washington continued to make an indirect proposal through the World Health Organization (WHO), but neither was approved by Beijing, the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said during a press conference in Washington on January 28.
“We urge China to cooperate and be more transparent as the most important step towards a more effective response,” Azar said.
He asked China to provide more data on the virus infections in this country because health officials around the world need to join forces to prevent the disease outbreak more serious.
China and Vietnam are countries ruled by communists, all the newspapers and radio stations here are controlled by the ruling parties to hide the truth.
With its behaviors, the Communists band in Ba Dinh is helping the development and spreading of harmful coronavirus diseases to take the lives of people.
Hoang Trung from Ha Noi – Thoibao.de (Translated)
