Streets in Hanoi have become crowded again after the Government eased social distancing measures in late April, 2020. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – In his blog published on the WorldBank website in late May, Jacques Morisset, World Bank Lead Economist andProgram Leader for Vietnam, has called the country ‘a bright star in theCOVID-19 dark sky’.
Based on a series of statistics including the local GDPstill expanding 3.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020, the economist realisedthe Vietnamese economy has been “extremely resilient during these unusual roughtime.”
He attributed the reasons behind the success to theGovernment’s smart policies, saying: “The quality of the Vietnamesegovernment’s COVID-19 response has been a combination of foresight andpragmatism.”
In conclusion, he wrote: “In the face of adversity, Vietnamhas been able to tap a long tradition of preparing for the worst while stayingflexible to adopt crucial reforms and transition toward the new normal. Thiscombination of foresight and pragmatism has been applied in the COVID-19 crisiswith considerable success.”
Morisset also said he hopes that such experience “can helpother 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 tothe National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control./.
VNA
