HANOI, Vietnam — With 89.8 million cases and 1.9 million deaths worldwide, COVID-19 has ravaged the world both medically and economically. Although the World Bank categorizes Vietnam as a lower-middle-income country with a population of 96 million people and a 1,450 km shared border with China, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam is successfully dealing with COVID-19.
Success by the Numbers
Vietnam experienced its first wave of COVID-19 roughly between January and April 2020 and managed to escape with zero deaths and less than 400 infections. Consequently, Vietnam was free of COVID-19 for nearly 100 days until another reported case emerged at the end of July 2020. Although less successful in this second wave, overall, Vietnam has experienced only 35 deaths and 1,536 cases, while 1,380 of those infected have recovered.
Just as impressive, it has managed to achieve these results without sacrificing its economy. The Vietnamese economy has, so far, fared much better than others. By the second quarter of 2020, Vietnam’s GDP was still positive at 0.4%, in contrast to most other countries whose economies contracted. In other words, Vietnam has protected its population while still preserving the Vietnamese economy.
Vietnam’s Medical Response
The United Nations argues that Vietnam is successfully dealing with COVID-19 because of long term investment and planning. After learning from its experience with the SARS and Avian flu epidemics in the early 2000s, Vietnam has built up a strategy and culture to deal with a pandemic while also investing in medical infrastructure.
Over 15 years, Vietnam has increased investment in its health care system (an average increase of 9% a year between 2000 and 2016), created a national public health emergency operations center and maintained a rigorous system that collects and aggregates public health data.
Therefore, when COVID-19 did hit, it was prepared and acted fast. When the news broke about the “severe pneumonia” in Wuhan, Vietnam increased its screening procedures and extended the Lunar Holiday for schools across the nation to keep children at home. Moreover, when the Vietnamese Government identified a cluster of positive cases in a small village, it quarantined the entire village for three weeks. From there, it quickly suspended flights to mainland China and other high-risk countries and required a 14-day quarantine for all nationals who entered the country. Likewise, on April 1, 2020, the Government instituted a mandatory masking policy along with a substantial fine for those who failed to comply.
Additionally, Vietnam marshaled national resources in efficient and innovative ways to communicate preventative practices and promote unity. The military and local governments provided testing and meals to all quarantine facilities with three contact tracing degrees to monitor other potential positive cases. The Government utilized text messaging and even a PSA song to increase communication and awareness, accompanied by a viral Tik-Tok dance featuring Vietnamese pop stars, which explains the virus’s origin and proactive social practices to prevent its spread and promote unity.
Vietnam’s Economic Response
Concerning Vietnam’s economic success, two explanations suffice. First, Vietnam has maintained a healthy debt to GDP ratio, which has given it space for fiscal stimulus. For instance, its 2019 public debt to GDP ratio was 7% lower than in 2016 (from roughly 63% down to 56%). The Government’s fiscal responsibility has resulted in large cash reserves to stimulate demand in the short term and supply in the long term.
The Government has utilized the benefits of large cash reserves to mitigate the economic effects on the average Vietnamese. To this end, the Government has allocated $2.6 billion for social assistance.
Secondly, as a byproduct of staying ahead of the curve, Vietnam has strayed from other nations’ drastic economic measures. Vietnam has yet to implement a nationwide lockdown. In contrast, it has opted to isolate specific areas to be quarantined and advise on individual practices to prevent the need to go into a nationwide lockdown.
In the long term, Vietnam’s ability to stay ahead of the curve without sacrificing its economy puts it in a better position to rebound quicker and reverse any adverse economic effects.
Nevertheless, the pandemic has had implications for the most vulnerable in Vietnam. The pandemic measures and lack of a vaccine have affected over 30 million Vietnamese workers, with the average income per worker decreasing by 5%. Likewise, some have leveled criticism at the Government for not allocating assistance evenly to the most vulnerable groups.
Even so, NGOs have stepped up to fill in the gaps. A few examples include the Center for Sustainable Rural Development which is helping rural communities in Central Vietnam by providing food and loans to offset the stymied demand for agricultural products, or the iSee Institute, which assists the transgender community by supplying food, hygiene products and phone credits to access the internet and information. Likewise, DXC Vietnam is serving underprivileged families across Vietnam by providing medical aid and daily groceries.
Altogether, the Vietnamese Government’s quick, decisive action with the work of NGOs has not only saved lives through infection prevention but also has mitigated the impoverishing effects of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable in the country. In other words, Vietnam is successfully dealing with COVID-19.
– Vincenzo Caporale
Photo: Wikipedia Commons