Vietnam is “the most outstanding” in containing the novel coronavirus as it has been listed one of few countries flattening their coronavirus infection curves, Singapore-based The Business Times reported.

Vietnam – examplary in handling Covid-19. Photo: Nhandan

London-based specialist risk consultancy Control Risks has made the remark in a recent report, in which Steve Wilford, the author, said South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are the four “most obvious members” of a club he dubbed the “learners”.

The four above-mentioned countries and territories are wealthy and have learnt lessons from the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) crisis of 2003, he said.

“But I would also bestow this honor on Vietnam which has managed to achieve similar results to its far wealthier neighbors using a clever mix of toned-down Chinese authoritarianism and very targeted resourcing,” Wilford said.

Vietnam has taken a highly sophisticated, low-cost, low-economic impact campaign of deep quarantine and mobile testing, coupled with blanket but relatively high-touch social distancing measures.

These are then boosted by a very strong focus on keeping the country’s export-oriented manufacturing sector open for business.

“This leaves the country arguably even further down the road to recovery than its much-vaunted northern neighbor. Countries with limited resources but a reasonably efficient bureaucracy should be looking to Vietnam rather than China for their pandemic battle plan,” he said.

Vietnam is gradually returning to normal. Photo: Zing

Successful example

CNN has reported that when the world looked to Asia for successful examples in handling the novel coronavirus outbreak, much attention and plaudits were paid to South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

But there’s one overlooked success story – Vietnam.

The country of 97 million people has not reported a single coronavirus-related deaths and has confirmed just 328 cases, despite its long border with China and millions of Chinese visitors it receives each year.

At the time of writing, the country reported no local infections for 45 consecutive days.

This is all the more remarkable considering Vietnam is a low-middle income country with a much less-advanced healthcare system than others in the region.

It only has 8 doctors for every 10,000 people, a third of the ratio in South Korea, according to the World Bank.

After three weeks beginning in early April, Vietnam has lifted social distancing rules and reopened the economy.

Businesses and schools have reopened, and life is gradually returning to normal, CNN said.