On a beautiful weekend morning, I decided to change clothes and put on a mask to go out for a haircut. Down the street, there was a small shop for students, with signs on both sides of the walkway reminding customers to wear masks and disinfect their hands before entering - something that many public places in Vietnam are applying.
Other than that and not having to wait in line, everything seemed surprisingly normal to me, despite the number of countries imposing curfews and restricting public activities that are increasing rapidly around the world. In contrast, life in Vietnam seems to have changed little.
In my area, most students and residents have returned to their hometowns. For more than 5 weeks, no university has allowed students to return to school. This is one of many measures taken by the Vietnamese government from the very beginning to prevent the spread of the disease.
Things were slowly stabilizing as the first 16 patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital a few weeks ago. But the appearance of patient number 17 was like a thunderclap that shattered 22 days of peace without new infections in Vietnam. “Netizens” panicked, countless criticisms and rumors about patient number 17 were spread. However, after a few days, things gradually calmed down again, Vietnam continued to stay calm while the whole world was struggling to cope with the pandemic.
How can a country of nearly 100 million people, a developing country, control the epidemic much better than other developed countries? I asked myself many times before finding the answer.
About 2 or 3 weeks ago, most of my Vietnamese friends thought that Germany (my home country) would handle and control the epidemic better because of its modern health system. But so far, in my opinion, that is not necessarily true. While the pandemic is quickly becoming a real problem in many countries that are considered “developed”, Vietnam has not given it any chance to run rampant.
Etienne Mahler, Student of University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi)
Vietnamese people see the novel coronavirus as a threat, but no one is panicking enough to fight over toilet paper rolls. The government has always put the health and lives of its people first. The northern border with China, where the outbreak originated, is strictly controlled. So far, entry into Vietnam is almost impossible for most visitors, especially those from the Schengen area, as Europe replaces China as the new epicenter of the pandemic.
All suspected cases and those who have been in contact with infected/suspected cases are tested and quarantined. The military disinfects the entire street. People are advised to limit large gatherings. These measures may sound drastic, but they are actually very effective in preventing the epidemic.
Newspapers and social networks have also become useful communication channels to disseminate information about prevention measures and update the status of the epidemic. For the past six weeks, every day, I have received information from the Ministry of Health and related organizations about the latest number of infections, advice on strengthening the immune system... Everything is updated quickly through two popular applications: SMS and Zalo.
Even without phones or the Internet, information about Covid-19 is everywhere in Hanoi: on large posters along the streets, notice boards in alleys, advertising screens in elevators, even when ordering food via Grab or Now, you receive notifications about the epidemic. Combined with the word-of-mouth method that is very popular in Vietnam, it is not surprising that I did not see anyone who was completely uninformed about the epidemic.
Having lived in Vietnam for almost 6 years now, there are of course many things that I think Vietnam needs to improve. However, when it comes to the pandemic crisis and the way the Vietnamese government and people have dealt with Covid-19, I cannot think of a better place to be at this time. Vietnam has done an amazing job. Even though I am not a Vietnamese citizen, I am still extremely proud to be a part of this country.
| Vietnam is waging a national “war” in the midst of peacetime, where I have seen propaganda posters and drawings expressing the determination “Vietnam will win (Covid-19)”. The cover of “Ghen Co-Vy” instructing on proper hand washing and spreading the message of solidarity against the virus has become a phenomenon. The song is so popular that it has been covered in Vietnamese and English in many countries around the world, famous and wonderful like the spirit of the Vietnamese people. |
According to baodautu.vn
Author:Etienne Mahler
