Resolution 128 a game changer in Vietnam’s COVID-19 fight

Held in Hanoi on January 4, the seminar saw speakers analyzing and evaluating policies adopted by the government last year that have brought about strategic changes to national COVID-19 response, and discussing outlook for 2022 and the following years.

Response strategies introduced by the Government have proved relevant and effective throughout the four waves of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Phuong said, emphaising that Resolution 128 was a game changer in the way Vietnam fights COVID-19 and revitalizes the economy.

It was something people yearning for after lengthy social distancing period, he noted, adding that thanks to the release of the resolution, Vietnam enjoyed positive economic growth in 2021.

Echoing Phuong’s view, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said Resolution 128 reflects a shift in Vietnam’s COVID-19 fight strategy which has also been widely adopted by many countries worldwide. Most countries now accept “living with the virus,” combating COVID-19 and developing the economy at the same time, he explained.

Phuong further highlighted the positive influence of Resolution 128 on Vietnam’s economic recovery, saying that because of the resolution, GDP growth bounced back to 5.22 percent in the final quarter of 2021 after shrinking over 6 percent in the previous quarter.

“If we have a good and effective virus control model, all social and economic activities and people’s daily life will be able to resume immediately, even strongly,” he stated.

Last year, Vietnam was severely hit by the fourth wave of COVID-19 which started in late April, leaving nearly 1.7 million people infected and over 31,000 dead. The worst-ever COVID-19 resurgence took heavy toll on the country’s economy, pulling down GDP growth in 2021 to 2.58 percent, the lowest in a decade.