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21 May 2020

Vietnam Halted Its COVID-19 Outbreak. Now Comes the Economic Fallout

Michael Tatarski 

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam—As countries around the world debate how quickly they should reopen their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, Vietnam is largely ahead of the curve.

A national social distancing campaign that shut down non-essential businesses ended on April 22, and life has returned to a striking normalcy. Restaurants, bars, cinemas, barbers and other shops have reopened, though karaoke parlors and nightclubs are still closed. Sporting events and festivals are now allowed to resume as well, with the country’s top soccer league scheduled to hit the pitch next month. Domestic tourism is slowly picking up, as authorities ease social distancing regulations on planes, trains and buses, and airlines and hotels are desperately trying to regain business. Schools nationwide have resumed in-person classes after being closed since the Lunar New Year holiday in early February.

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