Covid-19: Vietnam earns accolades for punching above its weight

People have their temperatures checked before entering a market on Yên Thái Street in the Old Quarter of Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HANOI, April 16 (Vietnam News/ANN) — As the global number of COVID-19 cases surpasses the two million level, Việt Nam has started to receive international accolades for its all-out efforts that have managed to keep its tally considerably low given its close proximity to China.

Strict mass quarantine, intensive contact tracing, early sealing off of borders with virus-hit regions, decisive leadership and social unity were cited as the reasons for Việt Nam’s initial successes against the onslaught of the novel coronavirus despite having limited resources, while many other advanced nations buckle under an explosion of patients with deaths running up to the thousands.