International media continue to hail the success that Viet Nam has made so far in containing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 despite limited resources compared to many countries.         

A medical worker sprays disinfectant. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Both the Deutsche Welle of Germany and the l’Obs weekly of France said Viet Nam’s success can be attributed to the four measures of quarantine, surveillance, declaring war on the epidemic and following the rules.

The article on l’Obs said the Viet Namese Health Ministry regularly sent messages to mobile phone subscribers giving information on the epidemic’s developments and advice on hygiene practice. The State media have been mobilised for communication work, and the artists also join in, with one outstanding example being the Ghen Co Vy, a song meant to increase awareness of preventing the spread of Covid-19 which has become a global hit.                                  

An article on the csis.org website by Amy Searight and Brian Harding said Viet Nam, along with Singapore, has emerged as global models for early action and aggressive containment of Covid-19. “Viet Nam, a fast-growing but still developing country with far fewer resources than Singapore, also launched a rapid and aggressive response to the coronavirus outbreak that so far has been highly successful, with zero reported deaths so far, according to government data,” the article read.

According to the article, Viet Nam’s shared border with China and bustling cross-border trade made it highly vulnerable to the spreading of the virus, but the country’s leaders quickly halted flights from China and closed schools nationwide. Viet Nam also became the first country outside of China to quarantine a large residential area when it sealed off part of a province north of Hanoi in mid-February after an outbreak was traced to workers returning from Wuhan.

It noted the ability of the Communist Party of Viet Nam to mobilise society, isolate individuals with symptoms and track their second- and third-hand contacts, the quarantining of incoming travelers, and the enlistment of the services of medical students, retired doctors, and nurses. The government has also been predictably effective at policing bans on business closures and large gatherings, and it has relied on its network of informants to help monitor and surveil citizens and report suspected cases.

As of late March 31, Viet Nam reported 207 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with no death.

Source: VNA