In Viet Nam, COVID-19 infection has unfolded in three phases. The first phase developed from late January to mid-February 2020. During this period, all reported cases had in common a clear travel history to China. The second phase, which began in early March after a long stretch with no reported COVID-19 cases in Viet Nam, saw the emergence of cases linked to travel from countries other than China that became new viral epicentres. Both phases were characterized by a clear traceability of infections, which means that all reported cases in Viet Nam could be ultimately tracked back to close contact with infected individuals outside of the country. As of 20 April 2020, no new case has been reported for four consecutive days. The entire country still remains vigilant, but the lack of new infections is a strong indication of the effectiveness of Government’s concerted efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
As the COVID-19 situation developed, the Government of Viet Nam implemented increasingly stringent measures that have proven effective in containing the health crisis. The Prime Minister has regularly encouraged the population to apply social distancing in a progressively stricter manner. Schools closed at the beginning of February. Flows of inbound travellers have been reduced through suspension of visas upon arrival, mandatory quarantine, and eventually a ban on all international flights. Domestic travel has been minimized and transportation largely suspended both between and within provinces. On 31 March², the Government ordered all non-essential businesses³ to close for at least two weeks. The Government’s main objective in implementing these measures is to protect the life and health of women and men in Viet Nam at any cost, and eventually eradicate the virus from the country.
In the meantime, the virus spread throughout the world’s largest economies and Viet Nam’s trading partners, leading to massive reduction
in economic activity. China’s Hubei province faced off the crisis through a lockdown through February. In March⁴, as social distancing in China began to ease up, countries the European Union started to apply stringent rules, later followed by the US. A new wave of Asian infections then emerged in late March. On 7 April, Japan declared a state of emergency. By the time this note was drafted most of Viet Nam’s top export destinations were implementing various forms of lockdown, thus severely affecting the country’s economic activity.
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