The Australia’s The Strategist newswire said Vietnam has followed a budget-friendly approach that has proven equally effective. The Vietnamese Government tightened border controls and put hospitals and local health departments on high alert before the first fatality in China and only three days after confirmation of the outbreak there.

Testing for Covid-19 in Me Linh, Hanoi.

Its recent study of Vietnam’s Covid-19 policy response attributed the country’s initial success in slowing the rate of infection to the authorities’ focus on communication and public education through technology platforms and systematic tracing of pathogen carriers.

The article also noted that citizens have been voluntarily sharing personal health information via a government-launched app called NCOVI while authorities have actively interacted with citizens via the social media.

It concluded that by focusing on early risk assessment, effective communication and government–citizen cooperation, an under-resourced country with a precarious healthcare system can manage the pandemic.

At the same time, the ASEAN Post said other nations in ASEAN and the rest of the world can learn from Vietnam’s swift response to handling the pandemic.

France’s Liberation paper attributed Vietnam’s impressive achievements to the healthcare system’s efforts to ensure the safety and health of the people instead of heeding profits of insurance companies.

About this, Russia’s Novosti Petrozavodsk paper quoted a woman of the country returning from Vietnam as saying that the Vietnamese State has offered all possible support for citizens, always ready with available food, necessities and masks to meet public demand with discounts. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese people fully follow the State rules without hesitance.

The Times of India said the Vietnamese Government has actively protected citizens against the epidemic as it promptly suggested initiatives and understood the exact nature of challenges.

The article stressed that the success could be reached if each citizen hightens the sense of responsibility and cooperates with the government.

The UK’s The Guardian published a poster and post stamps designed by Vietnamese painters that sent clear messages of solidarity in the fight against Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the US’s New York Times said despite insufficient resources and financial capability, Vietnam still sent masks to France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK along with its neighbours Cambodia and Laos. Vietnam also handed over 450,000 Dupont protective suits to the US.

Two more Covid-19 cases confirmed on April 13 morning

The National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control confirmed two new cases of Covid-19 in the morning of April 13, bringing the total number to 262.

Two more Covid-19 cases reported in Vietnam, total now 260

The Ministry of Health on April 12 afternoon announced two more cases of Covid-19, bringing the total in the country to 260.

Programming contest launched to combat Covid-19

A hackathon has been launched to look for innovative ideas in education, healthcare, information and economics to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic.

Italy thanks Vietnam for support in Covid-19 fight

Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio has sent a letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, expressing his profound gratitude to the Vietnamese Government and people for their support to Italy’s fight against Covid-19.

No new Covid-19 cases recorded on April 12 morning

Vietnam reported no new Covid-19 cases on April 12 morning, keeping the national count at 258, according to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

Source: VNA