Vietnam Model To Fight COVID-19 – Burning Issues

Table of Contents

Vietnam – a snapshot

Following reunification in April 1975, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was established in July 1976.
It is one of the seven officially one party states in the world
Although the official ideology of the state is Marxist – Leninist, the country brought many market economy reforms since mid 1980s that has led to Vietnam become a ‘socialist oriented market economy’
Manufacturing, information technology and high-tech industries now form a large and fast-growing part of the national economy.

Many developed nations like South Korea, New Zealand and Finland have been widely publicised for their control of COVID19
But these nations have long been known for their advanced healthcare systems, including the ability to handle infectious diseases.

Vietnam shares a border with China, where the pandemic originated.
Vietnam’s economy is closely linked with that of China.
It was one the first countries to have a confirmed COVID-19 case outside of China.
Vietnam has not yet experienced any large scale community outbreak, which would devastate a city like Ho Chi Minh City (1.1 crore population) and overwhelm the country’s public healthcare system.

The reason why Vietnam has managed to keep patients from death’s door is down to a three-pronged government strategy

Starting in February, anyone arriving at an airport in a major Vietnamese city had to go through compulsory body temperature screening and fill in a health self-declaration, stating their contact details and travel and health history.
These measures are now mandatory for everyone entering major cities and some provinces by land too, and for everyone entering a government building or hospital.
Those who are proven to have lied in their self-declaration, or who resist declaring altogether, can be criminally charged.

By March 5, Vietnam had validated three different test kits, each costing less than US$25 and producing results within 90 minutes.
Affordable test kits have helped the government’s intensive testing strategy.
These are all being manufactured in Vietnam.

Since mid-February, Vietnamese + Foreigners coming from abroad have been quarantined for 14 days on arrival and tested for COVID-19.
Tour groups from China were stopped in February.
Infected persons’ details are publicised.
Anyone who has come into direct contact with them is encouraged to come forward for quarantine.
If it’s discovered somebody has come into contact with someone who has tested positive, they will be put into mandatory quarantine.

Schools shut in February
In March, Vietnam started to lock down whole cities and specific areas in a city.
Travelling between cities was highly restricted.
Lockdown opened partially on 23 April
Schools re opened on 4^th May
Economy has re started – It is now exporting PPEs and Masks
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that Vietnam’s economic growth may slow down to 2.7 percent this year due to the pandemic, but may pick up to 7 percent in 2021.

From early January, the Vietnamese government has communicated widely to citizens about the seriousness of the coronavirus.
Communications have been clear: COVID-19 is not just a bad flu, but something to be taken extremely seriously, so people are advised not to put themselves or others at risk.
Popular animated videos and viral ‘challenges’.

Communist party apparatus and spies used to trace contacts .
Humiliation of COVID 19 positive Persons because of names being publicized – ostracized in their community and on social media.