Vietnam’s response to coronavirus crisis earns praise from WHO

Chris Humphrey and Bac Pham

7news.com.au – Monday, 13 April 2020 12:18 pm

Despite sharing a border with China, Vietnam has, with a combination of early decisive action, extensive testing, vigorous quarantining and social unity, so far avoided the devastation seen in Europe and the United States.

With coronavirus infections in the mere hundreds, Vietnam’s response to the crisis has earned praise from the World Health Organisation.

Official statistics show there are currently more than 75,000 people in quarantine or isolation. The country has so far conducted more than 121,000 tests, from which only 260 cases were confirmed.

Empty streets in central Hanoi, Vietnam amid concerns of the spread of the Coronavirus.

Empty streets in central Hanoi, Vietnam amid concerns of the spread of the Coronavirus. Credit: Linh Pham/Getty Images Tiếp tục đọc “Vietnam’s response to coronavirus crisis earns praise from WHO”

Vietnam’s Low-Cost COVID-19 Strategy

theaseanpost.com – Hong Kong Nguyen, 13 April 2020

Residents wearing face masks practice social distancing as they wait in a queue for free rice, amid Vietnam’s nationwide social isolation effort as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Hanoi on 11 April, 2020. (AFP Photo)

As COVID-19 expands across the southern hemisphere, governments there have a lot to learn from Vietnam’s approach. Clear communication and government-citizen cooperation that leveraged technology are the main reasons why the country has had relatively few cases.

Much attention has been paid to other models in Asia. Taiwanese health authorities investigated cases of pneumonia reported in Wuhan before community spread occurred. South Korea installed a nonstop emergency response system to screen all travellers entering the country from Wuhan in early January. Similarly, Singapore mobilised an inter-agency taskforce for extensive contact tracing, targeted community quarantine, and aggressive testing, while also covering the costs of screening and treatment. Tiếp tục đọc “Vietnam’s Low-Cost COVID-19 Strategy”

Monitoring the Quantity of Water Flowing Through the Upper Mekong Through Natural (Unimpeded) Conditions

pactworld.org

The Eyes on Earth report, Monitoring the Quantity of Water Flowing Through the Upper Mekong Through Natural (Unimpeded) Conditions,  published this week by Pact, shows that deviations from normal flow patterns began to occur with the operation of the first large hydropower dam on the Upper Mekong mainstream in 2012. Using satellite data on the Upper Mekong from 1992 to 2019, matched against daily measurements of river height downstream at Chiang Saen, Thailand, the research shows unusual fluctuations in recent years. The report concludes that cooperation between China and the Lower Mekong countries to simulate the natural flow cycle of the Mekong could potentially improve low-flow conditions and benefit all communities in the Mekong River Basin.

(Credit: Love Khong Chiam Facebook - facebook.com/pg/ฮักเด้อโขงเจียม-1319709694817122)