Coronavirus pandemic

The Hanoitimes - Some parts of the pandemic epicenter have relaxed movement restrictions for economic recovery. Vietnam reported 11 additional Covid-19 infections on March 2, including 10 cases in a village in the northern province of Hai Duong, the country's pandemic epicenter. Tightening control over precautionary measures remains active in many parts of Vietnam. Photo: VNExpress The newest infections drove up the tally in Vietnam to 2,472, including 1,892 convalescents. The latest movement of Covid-19 brought Kim Dinh village of more than 7,500 people into lockdown status for 14 days starting March 1. More than 58,000 people have so far been under quarantine at hospital, in concentrated facilities, and at home. In the past few days, the new cases were found in Hai Duong and the southern province of Dong Thap [from Vietnamese people returning from Cambodia]. The newly-infected cases in Dong Thap have prompted immediate action by regional provinces that border with Cambodia like An Giang, Tay Ninh and Kien Giang. Tightened control over immigration procedures has been required and more border patrols have been conducted. Meanwhile, other affected localities namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Binh Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Bac Ninh, and Quang Ninh have undergone from seven to 17 days without new cases. The temporary containment of Covid-19 in some areas have enabled the ever pandemic-hit cities and provinces to resume economic activities. From March 3, many parts of Hai Duong will be allowed to remove movement restrictions. …

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Authorities in Hanoi have allowed local restaurants and cafés to reopen as the latest wave of COVID-19 infections had subsided, but strict prevention and control measures will have to be taken at these venues. Vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung announced at a meeting on Monday that all eateries and coffee shops with indoor services would be permitted to resume operations from 0:00 on Tuesday. Partitions must be installed or a minimum distance of one meter must be kept between each person. Other COVID-19 prevention and control measures will also have to be taken seriously. The municipal administration also encouraged these venues to focus on takeaway services as the safest option. Discos, bars, karaoke parlors, online game centers, and roadside eateries and cafés will remain shuttered until further notice, according to vice-chairman Dung. Due to the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanoi authorities previously shut down all karaoke shops, bars, and discos from February 1. Eateries and coffee shops were closed from February 16. According to Tran Thi Nha Ha, director of the Hanoi Department of Health, the city has not documented any local infections since February 16. The pandemic situation in the capital has been put under control, Ha continued, adding that all 51,000 samples of people arriving from northern Hai Duong Province, the country’s current epicenter, have tested negative for the novel coronavirus. The risk of virus spread in the community is still high as all students and learners would resume their normal classes from Tuesday, she stated. All residents are advised to strictly comply with the five rules of COVID-19 prevention and control, namely wearing face masks, disinfecting, keeping safe distance, avoiding large gatherings, and filling out health declaration forms. Vietnam has logged 2,472 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning, with 1,892 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the …

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Pharmaceutical sector riding high on back of pandemic. Source: freepik.com Swiss pharma giant Novartis delivered a solid performance in 2020 across strategic priorities. Net sales reached over $48 billion in the fiscal year, up 2.5 per cent on-year. Its core net income hit $13.15 billion, up 8.67 per cent. Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said, “Operationally, we grew sales and continued to improve core operating margins for innovative medicines. We advanced our next wave of medicines, achieving a number of new approvals highlighted by Kesimpta in the US, and Leqvio and Zolgensma in the EU, and progressed our broad and deep mid-stage pipeline of first-in-class medicines.” Last year Novartis continued to focus on its status as a leading medicines company powered by advanced therapy platforms and data science. It also continued to advance transformative innovation for patients, including treatments for hyperlipidemia and multiple sclerosis. Coronavirus-related lockdowns in several areas negatively impacted particular therapeutic areas such as ophthalmology, dermatology, and the Sandoz retail business. However, the group’s operations remain stable and cash collections continue according to normal trade terms, with daily sales outstanding at normal levels. Operationally, solid sales growth, improved gross margins, and productivity including lower spending drove double-digit growth in core operating income. The innovative medicines segment core margin increased by 2.2 percentage points to 35 per cent of sales, and Novartis expects this margin to improve in the midterm. Meanwhile, French multinational pharma company Sanofi saw sales increase 3.3 per cent to just over €36 billion ($43.78 billion) in full-year performance, driven by Dupixent and vaccines. Business earnings per share (EPS) was €5.86 ($7.13), up 3.9 per cent on a reported basis and 9.2 per cent at constant exchange rates (CER), ahead of the guidance of 7-8 per cent. Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson …

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