Proactive, consistent response
Dr Kidong Park, WHO representative in Vietnam, attributed the success to the government's "proactiveness and consistency throughout the response". Vietnam's novel coronavirus nightmare began when two Chinese nationals were found to be the first cases in Ho Chi Minh City on January 23, the first day of the Lunar New Year celebration holiday, casting a gloomy air over the festive season. Vietnam officially declared the coronavirus an epidemic on February 1, when the number of cases in the country rose to six. On February 13, the health ministry ordered all 10,600 residents of Son Loi to remain under lockdown for 20 days, after more cases were confirmed. "The country has activated its response system at the early stage of the outbreak, by intensifying surveillance, enhancing laboratory testing, ensuring infection prevention and control and case management in healthcare facilities, clear risk communication message, and multi-sectoral collaboration," Park, the WHO official, told Al Jazeera.No treatment yet
"There's no medication for this virus yet. We rely on fundamental principles," Nguyen Thanh Long, deputy minister of health, said at a news conference in Hanoi in early February, after 10 cases were reported. Healthcare workers have been instructed to follow some protocols to assess the infection and the level of severity. On February 13, the Health Ministry ordered all 10,600 residents of Son Loi to remain under lockdown for 20 days in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus [File: Nhac Nguyen/AFP] First, the doctors are required to treat the symptoms, like fever. Second, the patients are placed on a strict, nutritious diet. The third step, according to Nguyen, is to closely monitor the oxygen saturation level in the blood of the patients. While efforts were made to eliminate infections behind hospital doors, Vietnam has also suspended classes, extending school breaks to protect students. Millions of students in 63 cities and provinces in Vietnam have not been back to school since the beginning of the Lunar New Year celebration.'Safety first'
Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do said during a meeting on Tuesday that, "the safety of students must be placed above all", according to the education ministry's website. The ministry has instructed schools to disinfect classrooms before students resume their classes. Teachers and staff have been asked to remind students about proper hygiene like hand-washing, and carry out temperature checks on students upon their arrival. Schools are also required to prepare health forms used to monitor students. On January 28, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered a ban on imports of wild animals into Vietnam [File: Kham/Reuters] A document from the education ministry, issued on Thursday and seen by Al Jazeera, instructed authorities to allow students to return to school on March 2 "if the COVID-19 situation is well-controlled and there are no further complicated developments". Students up to the secondary education level were given another week or two off school. "I'm very nervous about going back to work. Hopefully, it's going to be OK considering this hot weather," said Le Hanh, a psychology consultant at a public high school with nearly 2,000 students in Ho Chi Minh City said. Ho Chi Minh, the country's largest city, has nearly two million students, from kindergarten to continuing education and vocational training schools.'Ban on wildlife export'
While Vietnam has contained the virus well to this point, some believe that more needs to be done, especially with wildlife trade. Wild animals have been identified as the link allowing the deadly disease to jump to humans, similar to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012. Vietnam, a hotspot for wildlife trafficking and consumption, has also ramped up measures in this regard. On January 28, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered a ban on imports of wild animals into Vietnam. The Forest Protection Department also temporarily prohibited the transport of wild animals out of Vietnam until further notice, according to an official document released two weeks ago. How these directives are being implemented and how much action has been taken to address the root causes remains unclear, however, said Dr Ben Rawson of World Wildlife Fund in Vietnam. "There is currently no direct ban on consumption of wildlife, which is the driver for illegal transport and illegal trade within the provinces," Rawson told Al Jazeera. Illegal markets, restaurants and farms, where animals are caged, slaughtered, stored and served to buyers with no proper hygiene, may be largely unaffected by actions so far, as "it may not involve movement of wildlife across provincial borders which is restricted," he noted.'It's not over yet'
While Vietnam has managed to contain the virus, for now, the country should not lower its guard, given the spread of the infection elsewhere, like South Korea, authorities said. Since South Korea became the biggest coronavirus centre outside China, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered a ban on travellers from there. On Friday, Vietnam announced a temporary suspension of visas for South Korean nationals starting on Saturday. Tourists wear protective masks as they travel around the historic city of Hanoi on Friday [Manan Vatsyayana/AFP] At the same time, Vietnam announced that Iranian and Italian travellers will be subjected to a 14-day quarantine upon arriving in the country. WHO has declared a global health emergency over the virus, and on Friday, the UN health agency said it is is "getting bigger" by the day. Park of the WHO in Vietnam said the fight against the virus in the country is "far from over", sounding the alarm on the increasing global transmissions. "We are at a critical juncture in the outbreak. Countries, including Vietnam, should use this time to prepare for the possibility of wider transmission."DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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