Hungarian newspaper praised Vietnam in COVID-19 prevention.
Hungarian newspaper
On April 13th, the origo.hu website and some other Hungarian websites quoted the Hungarian national news agency MTI that Vietnam was praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for responding to COVID-19.
According to the news, Vietnam has reported over 260 cases, but there have been no fatalities. So far, Vietnam has avoided mass death experiences like in Europe and the US thanks to early drastic actions, widespread testing, strict isolation and social unity. Official statistics showed that there were more than 75,000 people, both in quarantine centers and in self-quarantine at home, while the figure was 72,000 people on April 13th.
Australian newspaper
On April 13th, the 7news.com.au news website posted an article by Chris Humphrey and Bac Pham of the Australian Associated Press (AAP), which commented that Vietnam, thanks to the combination of early actions, widespread testing, strict quarantine and social solidarity, so far has avoided the devastation COVID-19 has wrought in Europe and the US.
The article identified that much of Vietnam's success was brought about by social consensus. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently compared Vietnam's efforts to fight COVID-19 as "the Spring 2020 uprising".
Vietnamese schools have been closed since January and the mass quarantine began on March 16th. Since then, tens of thousands of people who entered Vietnam from countries affected by the pandemic were isolated in large centres. On March 25th, international flights were completely stopped.
So far, there is no sign that the restrictive measures will be loosened. A majority of domestic flights, railways and buses have been suspended, and anyone who leaves Hanoi, the centre of the pandemic, is quarantined on arrival in most other provinces.
The article commented on very strict measures regarding how Vietnamese people respond to the crisis. Official notices in Ho Chi Minh city warn those who do not wear masks, that are found to have spread the dangerous disease to others, could face up to 12 years in prison. These strict measures have brought successful results.
British newspaper
According to Reuters, despite the lack of resources compared to neighboring countries, Vietnam has donated 550,000 masks to France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom; 390,000 masks to Cambodia and 340,000 masks to Laos.
Vietnam has also delivered 450,000 protective suits to the US and received thanks from US President Donald Trump.
Professor Carl Thayer, honourable Professor of the Australian National Defense Academy, and an expert on studies of foreign affairs in Vietnam, commented that Vietnam seems to have successfully controlled the virus./.