Interviewer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
In December 2020, we reached out to several folks living across Asia to ask how the pandemic was affecting them, their countries, and their communities. One person we spoke with was Diep Ngoc Bui (she/her) who is from Vietnam. Check out our 2020 interview here.
We recently reconnected with Diep, asking her what’s changed in the 9 months since we last talked. Thank you so much to Diep for sharing her insights and experiences.
Please introduce yourself!
My name is Diep Bui, I use she/her/hers pronouns.
We last spoke with you in December of 2020. How has the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam changed since then?
Vietnam has been struggling to contain the fast spreading delta variant since April. Up to now, there are 15,279 deaths, and Ho Chi Minh City and the southern area have been hit hardest.
How has the situation of yourself and your loved ones changed because of COVID-19?
My parents are living in the South and I am living in the North. Here, the situation is less intensive than in the South.
Still, the city has been under lockdown for over 1 month. It has been a tough month for me.
Have you been able to access COVID-19 vaccines?
I got my first shot yesterday, and Hanoi, where I am living, has vaccinated over 80% of its residents with the first dose.
What do you think the general attitude of the public in Vietnam is right now to COVID-19?
I think people are very concerned about COVID-19. Everyone wears masks, washes their hands, and keeps distance from others. Every neighborhood has a checkpoint where local volunteers record people going in and out, and make sure everyone washes their hands and wears masks.
What is something you think the Vietnamese government has done well or not so well in the fight against COVID-19?
Vaccine rollout has been slow. However, I am glad that they managed to vaccinate residents in big cities like Hanoi and HCMC.
How do you think Vietnam is doing overall in the fight against COVID-19 compared to other countries in the world?
Vietnamese people seriously follow the guidelines of the government on social distancing. I am so glad to see everyone wash their hands so often.
What do you hope to see in the future of the fight against COVID-19 in Vietnam? And more generally around the world?
The COVID-19 pandemic has made us appreciate simple things we took for granted, such as seeing our families or eating out. However, I believe once we all get fully vaccinated, things will get back to almost the new normal.
Image credit: Thanh Hue/Reuters, via Reuters
Check out all of the installments of our “Pandemic Progress Update” here!