Australian media hails Vietnam’s response measures in latest COVID-19 wave

A medical worker is conducting COVID-19 testing. (Photo: VNA)

The Vietnamese government’s COVID-19 management systems kicked back into full swing as the number of domestically-transmitted infection has risen quickly these days, according to an article posted on Australia’s devpolicy.org website on May 19.

Vietnam, with a population of 96 million people, has seen 4,378 COVID-19 cases and 37 deaths, it said, describing this achievement remarkable indeed.

Regarding the proportional impact – the number of deaths per one million population, Vietnam currently has 0.4 as compared to 5 in Singapore, 9 in Thailand, 35 in Australia, and 59 in Malaysia, the article quoted Worldometres’ statistics.

On number of cases per one million people, Vietnam is at only 44, while the figures in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia are 10,460, 1,623 and 14,500, respectively, it said, adding the difference is staggering.

In the past 18 months with three outbreak waves, the Vietnamese Government has honed a highly proactive approach to managing the spread of the virus in the community, with priority given to addressing degrees of contact, and not simply the manifestation of the illness symptoms.

A wide range of social distancing and movement restrictions were progressively put in place over the past week since the number of COVID-19 infections has risen in this fourth occasion.

They began with closure of schools, then karaoke bars, massage parlours and gyms, with restaurants next required to shift to take-away only and public parks and meeting places closed. People are fined for not wearing face masks in public, and asked to stay at home. Meanwhile, most shops and businesses stay open.

Strict punishment is handed out to anyone who does not wear face mask in public places. (Photo: VNA)

The article affirmed that the calm and the orderliness of the system engenders confidence of the nation.

Looking to neighbouring countries in the region and further afield, it seems the Vietnamese public has acknowledged that this approach works, and they get on board quickly.

When there was an outbreak of community spread around the traditional Lunar New Year, the Government was successful to get on top of it within a month, with minimal closures and movement restrictions. All social activities operated again in March.

The article also stated that like everywhere across Asia, Vietnam will suffer long-term impacts of the resulting economic slowdown. However, the Vietnamese economy is expected to recover the fastest in Southeast Asia, and the Government’s ability to keep the virus at bay is the key factor in this success./.