Interviewer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
COVID-19 is a global pandemic. Every country is handling the virus in its own way, with varying degrees of success. At AAOP, we reached out to folks beyond the United States to see how the pandemic is affecting them. Today, we hear from Dalin and Diep, who share their experiences in Cambodia and Vietnam respectively.
Dalin Eng, Cambodia
COVID-19 statistics for Cambodia (as of December 11, 2020): 357 cases, 0 fatalities
[COVID-19] has been quite stressful here. I cannot stop going to work because of COVID-19. What I can do is to adapt to the new normal by practicing social distancing and wearing masks every day. In late November we had some community spread, but it is still under control. The government, especially the Ministry of Health has been working so hard to prevent [the spread].
[At work] lots of staff and employees follow [safety] practices well, but outside at the supermarket, restaurants, or public park, people don’t follow [the rules] as strictly. [I think what has been most affected by COVID-19 are] retail businesses, private schools, and the entertainment business. Mental health has also been affected because lots of people don’t follow the right source of information. We cannot scare ourselves by following fake information.
I am very optimistic that our government can control COVID-19 well here. Just this week, I heard about the vaccine. I think we will soon have it. For now, all we can do is keep calm, stay focused on daily tasks, but not forget [to stay safe].
Diep Bui, she/her, Vietnam
COVID-19 statistics for Vietnam (as of December 11, 2020): 1,391 cases, 35 fatalities
I am lucky enough that I haven’t been much affected by COVID-19. I am living in Hanoi. [However] I have family in Danang, where they got hit by the third wave a couple months ago, and they have been struggling all year.
The Vietnamese government took COVID-19 seriously from the beginning and thanks to their quick action, right now Vietnam has [only around] 100 active cases. [The government practices] aggressive contact tracing and their communications strategies work. During the first, second, and third waves, I and everyone around me got daily messages from the government [with updates].
We still must wear masks at public places such as supermarkets or schools. People take [COVID-19 safety practices] seriously. Tourism and the hospitality industry have been most affected by COVID-19. Lots of hotels and homestays in Hanoi have shut down or financially struggled.
I trust my government with how they are fighting the virus. [Vietnam has dealt] with different outbreaks before, so we have experience with this kind of crisis. You can see that from the COVID-19 stats. [In comparison] I think the US is deeply divided by race, culture, religion, and politics. This makes it difficult to handle the pandemic, especially when there is a lack of leadership. I hope the situation in the States will get better after January 20, 2021.
Sources:
Johns Hopkins University, “COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)”, Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. Accessed 11 Dec. 2020.