Read what is in the news today.

Society

-- Vietnam confirmed four new novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients, all Vietnamese nationals, on early Thursday morning, including three imported cases and one infection traced to Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, bringing the national tally to 222.

-- Police in the central province of Quang Ngai on Wednesday evening arrested two robbers only a couple of hours after they had robbed a bank of VND160.5 million (US$6,807) in the neighboring province of Quang Nam.

-- Traffic inspectors are setting up checkpoints at seven entrances to Ho Chi Minh City from the neighboring provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Tay Ninh to look out for four-wheeled commercial passenger vehicles, which have been banned amid the nationwide implementation of social distancing over COVID-19.

-- The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Vietnam donated 250,000 medical masks to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health on Wednesday.

-- Hue Central Hospital in the central province of Thua Thien - Hue on Wednesday determined that a woman from north-central Quang Binh Province had died because of septic shock after returning to Vietnam from Laos through Cha Lo International Border Gate. Her test result also turned out negative for COVID-19.

-- Vietnam’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha on Wednesday decided to give VND800 million ($33,904) from the Environmental Protection Fund in support to each of the five provinces in the Mekong Delta region that have declared a state of emergency due to drought and saline intrusion, including Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Kien Giang, and Ca Mau.

Business

-- Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told a monthly government meeting in Hanoi on Wednesday afternoon that he wants the fiscal stimulus package to revive the country’s economy, which has been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, to be increased from VND30 trillion ($1.27 billion) to VND150 trillion ($6.36 billion).

-- More than 1,500 flight attendants of Vietnam Airlines have agreed to take unpaid leave as the national flag carrier looks to curb costs amid COVID-19 pandemic.

World News

-- The novel coronavirus has infected over 934,200 people and killed nearly 47,000 globally, according to Ministry of Health statistics. More than 193,800 cases have recovered worldwide.

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