A medic checks temperature of people quarantined at a state-designated facility in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)Tokyo(VNA) – The quick establishment of a testing system and thorough quarantine measures are the main factors behindVietnam’s success in containing COVID-19 community infections, a Japaneseprofessor was quoted as saying by the Japanese TV channel NHK in a story published on June 11.
The story wasreported by NHK Hanoi Bureau Chief Michishita Wataru, revealing secrets behind Vietnam’simpressive handling of the coronavirus since the early stage.
"Vietnamhas no special test kits or drugs to treat the disease,” says Hasebe Futoshi, aprofessor at Nagasaki University's Institute of Tropical Medicine VietnamResearch Station who has been conducting research on infectious diseasestogether with an institute in Hanoi for many years.
“But thegovernment decided to do what it had to do at an early stage and put that planstraight into practice."
The country'spolitical system also plays a part, as it enables the authorities to imposerestrictions on people with a degree of coercion, Hasebe said, adding that the fact that people mostlycomplied was another significant factor.
Early androbust action was taken by Vietnam to halt the spread of the virus, NHK reported.
The Vietnamesegovernment said early on that it would put people ahead of the economy andimplemented a series of strict preventive measures, it said.
Immediatelyafter the first case was confirmed in the country in late January, authoritiesintroduced quarantine for infected people and anyone they had been in contactwith. And from the beginning of April, the government restricted nonessentialoutings and suspended the operation of stores other than supermarkets andpharmacies.
A survey bymajor British research firm YouGov shows that more than 90 percent ofVietnamese say the government is well handling the pandemic.
In interviewswith NHK and other international media, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc saidthe tough measures implemented by his government are paying off.
"We don'tignore people's lives by thinking only about the economy,” he was quoted assaying. PM Phuc said as thisis a very dangerous virus and no vaccine has been developed, strict measuresare important.
“Our successin quickly bringing the pandemic under control will help draw investors andtourists back to Vietnam."
As thecoronavirus is taking heavy toll on the Vietnamese economy, the leader has vowed to support business operators byreducing taxes and offering other incentives, NHK reported./.
VNA
