The Manila Times, one of the leading national broadsheets in the Philippines, on March 23 ran an article highlighting Vietnam’s effective anti-COVID-19 formula. Hanoi (VNA) – The Manila Times, one of the leading national broadsheets in thePhilippines, on March 23 ran an article highlighting Vietnam’s effectiveanti-COVID-19 formula.
Titled“Doing it better: The lesson Vietnam,” the article said 'Vietnam’s response to the coronaviruspandemic was based on its experience in handling the severe acute respiratorysyndrome (SARS) pandemic back in 2003."
It was the secondcountry after China to report the appearance of SARS —, as it were — and thefirst to be declared SARS-free by the World Health Organization (WHO), afteronly a few months.
“Vietnam’s pandemicplaybook basically has four pages,” said the article.
First, as soon as itbecame apparent that there would be a need for them, the government providedsubstantial financial and administrative support for the development andproduction of home-grown medical treatments and supplies.
Research on a vaccinebegan as soon as enough sample material was available to start the work, andVietnamese pharmaceutical concerns began work on no fewer than four differenttypes of coronavirus test kits. These became available in export-quantityoverabundance as early as April last year, and earlier this month, Vietnambegan rolling out its own domestically produced vaccine, which according toavailable data is efficient.
Second, Vietnamemployed a strategy of short, airtight lockdowns and restricted movement toprevent the spread of the coronavirus, acting at once to shut down entire areasthat could possibly be affected by the appearance of a case.
The Vietnamese governmentspent generously on social support, even delivering food to people’s homes, thearticle said.
Third, realising thatan effective tracing system is the most critical component of the pandemicresponse, Vietnam immediately developed and implemented a thorough, accurateand centralised contact tracing system.
Contacts for anyperson testing positive for the coronavirus are traced to three levels, and allof those people are tested immediately.
Finally, the articlesaid, infected persons, regardless of their condition, are immediately quarantinedfor monitoring and treatment in government facilities, as are all of theirfirst-level contacts.
While Vietnam isstill restricting non-essential visits by foreigners, movement and economicactivity in the country is for all intents and purposes normal. The Vietnamesegovernment has even launched an aggressive marketing campaign to promotedomestic tourism to boost the economy, according to the article./.
VNA
