Today’s Covid News: Germany donates 2.6 million vaccine doses to Vietnam

Minh Vu

Sep 27, 2021 / 09:36 PM

On the day, about four million doses arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, where is on the way to conduct reopening plans.

About 2.6 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Vietnam today [Sept 27] as an offer made by German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Dr. Guido Hildner, German Ambassador to Vietnam, and Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung at the handover ceremony in Hanoi on Sept 27. Photo: Embassy of Germany in Hanoi

This is the second delivery of vaccines from Germany within two weeks, including the first shipment via the COVAX Facility, according to the German Ambassador to Vietnam, Dr. Guido Hildner.

The latest batch drove up German donations to 3.45 million doses, making Germany the biggest European donor to Hanoi.

“This support is an expression of our solidarity with the people of Vietnam. It also underscores our commitment to the Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, whose 10th anniversary we are celebrating this year. Germany stands with Vietnam in fighting and overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the ambassador.

In addition to vaccines, several German federal states have provided Vietnam with a total of one million rapid antigen tests, masks, protection suits, and freezers in summer 2021. The donations are part of efforts to repay Vietnam’s gesture in spring 2020 when Hanoi offered 100,000 masks to Berlin.

The cooperation of the two countries is also marked in the ongoing and future collaboration in technical and vocational training, One Health, Green Recovery, social security, and digitalization through an investment of EUR104 million (US$121 million).

The activities also include the establishment of a center for pandemic prevention, together with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, and the creation of advisory services to combat illegal wildlife trade.

In May 2021, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) established one of four new global centers for health and pandemic prevention in Vietnam aiming at preventing infectious diseases and helping treat them.

On the same day, Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) handed over 1.32 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to the Ministry of Health.

Both the German shipment and VNVC imported batch arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, the epicenter of the pandemic.

Health workers treat patients in Hanoi's biggest Covid-19 hospital. The photo was taken on Sept 27 by Pham Hung/ The Hanoi Times

Ho Chi Minh City

Today, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) saw 122 deaths, the record low of fatalities since mid-August, according to Pham Duc Hai from the city committee for Covid-19 prevention and control.

Currently, the number of patients hospitalized is lowered than the number of people recovered, in addition, the number of deaths and critical cases is also decreased for the past few weeks, Hai said at a press conference.

To date, the number of active cases has been 179,000. Of them, 39,000 are hospitalized and the remaining patients are treated at home.

As preparing for the reopening plans, the city has vaccinated all adults aged above 18 with the first jabs and covered 40% of them with the second shots.

On Sept 27, Vietnam reported 9,362 coronavirus infections and 174 deaths, the lowest daily fatalities since early August.

As of Sept 27, Hanoi has undergone the fourth day without infections in the community.

The city from Sept 28 will allow outdoor physical exercises of less than 10 persons. The relaxation will also be imposed for trade plazas, fashion shops, and cosmetic stores. In-person dining out remains banned except for takeaways.