How has Vietnam, a developing nation in South-East Asia, done so well to combat coronavirus?
By Max Walden
Posted13 hours ago, updated5 hours ago
Vietnamese authorities eased many restrictions on April 22.(Reuters: Kham)
Zero deaths. It's an achievement amid the coronavirus pandemic that governments from the United States to Italy can only dream of.
Key points:
It has a land border spanning more than 1,400 kilometres with China, where the novel coronavirus originated, a population of more than 90 million, and a GDP per capita 22 times less than Australia's.
Nevertheless, Vietnam's lack of coronavirus deaths remains the envy of the world.
Coronavirus update: Follow all the latest news in our daily wrap
As of Monday, authorities reported a further eight recoveries from the virus, bringing the total number of people cured in Vietnam to 249. That's of a total of just 288 confirmed cases.
Vietnam's response to COVID-19 has been praised by many, with the official death toll at zero.(AP: Hau Dinh)
By contrast, Malaysia has 6,276 cases. Tiny Singapore, with only a fraction of Vietnam's population, has a whopping 23,787.
"Australia really focused on Singapore but Singapore is one of the greatest failures in the world now," Mike Toole, a communicable diseases specialist with the Melbourne-based Burnet Institute, told the ABC.
By Max Walden
Posted13 hours ago, updated5 hours ago
Zero deaths. It's an achievement amid the coronavirus pandemic that governments from the United States to Italy can only dream of.
Key points:
- Despite sharing a border with China, Vietnam has reported less than 300 cases
- Experts believe that Vietnamese coronavirus caseload statistics are accurate
- Success has been attributed to aggressive testing, contact tracing and public messaging
It has a land border spanning more than 1,400 kilometres with China, where the novel coronavirus originated, a population of more than 90 million, and a GDP per capita 22 times less than Australia's.
Nevertheless, Vietnam's lack of coronavirus deaths remains the envy of the world.
Coronavirus update: Follow all the latest news in our daily wrap
As of Monday, authorities reported a further eight recoveries from the virus, bringing the total number of people cured in Vietnam to 249. That's of a total of just 288 confirmed cases.
By contrast, Malaysia has 6,276 cases. Tiny Singapore, with only a fraction of Vietnam's population, has a whopping 23,787.
"Australia really focused on Singapore but Singapore is one of the greatest failures in the world now," Mike Toole, a communicable diseases specialist with the Melbourne-based Burnet Institute, told the ABC.
"Vietnam is not in that situation. I think it's a remarkable achievement for such a huge country."