Vietnam receives international praise for Covid-19 prevention

Citizens who complete their quarantine period will be provided with transportation back to their hometowns. Photo: Hoang Long

Successful Model

Citing information from the National Public Radio (USA), VNA said that on April 16, this media agency published an article by Mr. John MacArthur - Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office in Thailand. Mr. John said that while many Southeast Asian countries have thousands of cases of COVID-19, Vietnam has emerged as a successful model in the world in fighting the epidemic.

He affirmed that it was transparency and consistent political determination that helped Vietnam achieve this success.

Expert John MacArthur said that Vietnam's achievements were thanks to its experience in dealing with previous pandemics, its determination in implementing social distancing, and the strong determination of its leaders. He stated: "Vietnam had an early political commitment at the highest level. Political determination was consistently implemented from the central to local levels."

According to him, with experience gained from dealing with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and the A/H1N1 flu epidemic in 2009, the Vietnamese Government took measures to respond to COVID-19 as early as January 2020 - when China had just reported a number of cases in Wuhan, the country's first epicenter. Vietnam quickly introduced a series of "tactics", such as large-scale quarantine and actively tracing people who came into contact with the pathogen.

Transparent, decisive

The article also mentioned that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc described Vietnam’s efforts to fight the pandemic as “the Spring Offensive of 2020”. Tens of thousands of people have been put into quarantine. Vietnam banned all international and domestic flights in late March. The government ordered a nationwide lockdown from April 1. Violators of social distancing orders will be severely punished. One person was sentenced to nine months in prison for not wearing a mask and resisting officials on duty.

The author of the article describes that in big cities, the streets that are usually bustling are now almost empty of traffic. As the economic impact of social distancing becomes more evident, some entrepreneurs are stepping up their charitable activities. "Rice ATMs" have appeared in many places to distribute free rice to the unemployed.

Mr. MacArthur emphasized that both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC have praised Vietnam for its transparency in handling the crisis. He said the CDC team in Hanoi is working very closely with their counterparts at the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and that information from the Vietnamese side is that at this time, "there is no indication that those numbers are inaccurate."

Generous

Also according to VNA, Asia Times quoted analysts as saying that Vietnam's transparent and drastic anti-COVID-19 measures and support for other countries in difficult times will bring many opportunities to Vietnam.

Professor Carl Thayer of the University of New South Wales (Australia) noted that despite many difficulties, Vietnam has stepped up production of medical equipment and donated it to other countries including the US, Russia, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the UK. Not only that, Vietnam has also donated masks, disinfectants and anti-COVID-19 supplies to neighboring countries Cambodia and Laos.

Meanwhile, Mr. Alexander Vuving, Professor at the Daniel K Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii, affirmed that despite limited resources, Vietnam has shown generosity towards the international community. Therefore, Vietnam is increasingly receiving international praise.

Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, a Washington-based think tank, said Vietnam's success in handling the pandemic and its noble actions amid the crisis are opportunities for the country to demonstrate its growing value to the world.

British journalist John Pennington pointed out that not only did Vietnam effectively deal with the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to its quick implementation of isolation, quarantine and tracing measures for those who had been in contact with infected people, but it also donated hundreds of thousands of masks to neighboring Southeast Asian and European countries. The British journalist assessed that through this action, "Vietnam has gained the trust of world leaders" and increased its diplomatic position./.