WB economist calls Vietnam ‘a bright star’ in COVID-19 fight

Streets in Hanoi have become crowded again after the Government eased social distancing measures in late April, 2020.

Based on a series of statistics including the local GDP still expanding 3.8% in the first quarter of 2020, the economist realised the Vietnamese economy has been “extremely resilient during these unusual rough time.”

He attributed the reasons behind the success to the Government’s smart policies, saying: “The quality of the Vietnamese government’s COVID-19 response has been a combination of foresight and pragmatism.”

In conclusion, he wrote: “In the face of adversity, Vietnam has been able to tap a long tradition of preparing for the worst while staying flexible to adopt crucial reforms and transition toward the new normal. This combination of foresight and pragmatism has been applied in the COVID-19 crisis with considerable success.”

Morisset also said he hopes that such experience “can help other countries that have been much less well-prepared for the crisis.”

Vietnam recorded no COVID-19 cases on June 2 morning, marking 47 days in a row without new infections in the community, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.