HCMC and Hanoi Lockdown Specifics

From: Ben Quick <bnquick74@gmail.com>

Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2021 2:33 AM

To: will frith <willfrith@gmail.com>

Cc: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Subject: Re: [Vsg] HCMC and Hanoi Lockdown Specifics

Thanks again, Will. This is very useful information. For my purposes, this clarity is essential. If nobody else has anything to add, I’m going to assume this was the extent of the of the lockdown in Saigon. I wonder about Hanoi.

Best,

Ben

From: will frith <willfrith@gmail.com>

Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2021 8:57 PM

To: Ben Quick <bnquick74@gmail.com>

Cc: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Subject: Re: [Vsg] HCMC and Hanoi Lockdown Specifics

Yep the strictest days were as I described - no movement or doorstep deliveries, only permitted to go to barricades to pick up and that was it. Otherwise, not-insignificant fines were given to those who were caught outside for any other reason. This only lasted a few days in my ward.

There was the ward-specific phenomenon of "Green Zones," which had no active cases for several days in a row. Inside the green zone, free movement was permitted, but getting in and out was restrictive (I think folks had to bring proof of a recent - 48 hours or less - negative test in order to enter), and all shipments were controlled at the main barricade. This experiment had varying results, and each ward's lead officer was in charge of organizing and enforcing. Some had more community-oriented leadership and did well, while others had officers at the top who didn't enforce things consistently (these usually didn't stay green for long).

Throughout all levels of the lockdown (directive 16 and higher), delivery drivers had to be tested every morning and be able to prove (with invoices or delivery manifests) that their movement was for an approved, specific purpose.

From: Ben Quick <bnquick74@gmail.com>

Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2021 8:00 PM

To: Greg Nagle <gnagle2000@gmail.com>

Cc: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Subject: Re: [Vsg] HCMC and Hanoi Lockdown Specifics

Greg,

Can you point to specific information in my post you regard as inaccurate or marginal? I want to be as accurate as possible, as well.

Cheers,

Ben

From: Greg Nagle <gnagle2000@gmail.com>

Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2021 10:28 AM

To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Subject: Re: [Vsg] HCMC and Hanoi Lockdown Specifics

It is important to be as accurate as possible about covid vaccines in Vietnam since some marginal information has been passed around

The original target was to have 80% of total population fully vaccinated by June 2022. But it looks like they will get there long before that if vaccines continue to be available

Up to now, 23.9 million have been fully vaccinated with two doses and 56.6 million have been vaccinated at least once.

Over the last week they have averaged about 1.3 million doses/day but reached 2.1 million and 1.7 /day last week.

Central Vietnam was not ignored as far as I can see. I got my 1st astrzaneca vaccine in Hoi An 5 weeks ago. In the rest of Vietnam vaccines and 22nd doses were concentrated in the worst outbreak centers which seems good medical practice. HCMC and very afflicted places nearby got the most attention,

This site keeps close track of progress,

Cổng thông tin tiêm chủng Covid-19

You can see in the table the regions which got 2 doses for those over 18 (based on percent over 100%) . 57% in Hanoi have two doses, HCMC about 81%, Binh Duong 64% etc,

The maps on the site show progress by location

Also a useful site.

https://vnexpress.net/covid-19/vaccine

Thus far about 103 million doses have come into Vietnam with many more by this years end hopefully. 51 million Pfizer were ordered 4.5 months ago with at least 20 million here by years end.. I hope

But as with much of the world such purchases presently have a long time until delivery.

COVID-19 vaccination in Vietnam

Vietnam was able to gather 12.1 million from the US and more from various other countries which had an excess supply of vaccines, some of them close to expiration dates, so they were happy to hand them over to the Vietnamese, (The US got its Pfizer doses for just $7/dose while Vietnam will pay Pfizer $6/dose)

I am not sure about the most easily available Chinese vaccines since they are not much talked about in the media.

Greg Nagle

PhD Forest and watershed science

Cornell University

Hanoi, Vietnam

From: Ben Quick <bnquick74@gmail.com>

Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2021 8:18 AM

To: will frith <willfrith@gmail.com>

Cc: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Subject: Re: [Vsg] HCMC and Hanoi Lockdown Specifics

Thank you, Will. I really appreciate that account. It helps tremendously. Were those strictest measures what you describe here or were they something else?

Many thanks.

There is a great deal of confusion about what was and is going on in other parts of the country. I’m not entirely sure whether or not that is by design. I can tell you very few folks in Da Nang have received their second vaccination shot and the dates for a mass campaign keep getting pushed back. I’m now hearing as late as the beginning of 2022. Folks in Quang Nam City were given no choice but to take the Chinese vaccines. My housekeeper had her first shot a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile I understand children are being vaccinated in Saigon now.

Forgive me if I sound resentful. Maybe it means I’m assimilating to Central Vietnam. I would really appreciate any information anyone else in the country can provide about the specific lockdown measures taken in their parts of Vietnam. Again, a simple yes or no is sufficient. Details are a bonus. The main channels of information we receive here are all state approved and completely untrustworthy. These firsthand reports are our only unfiltered accounts.

Thanks in advance.

On Sat, 30 Oct 2021 at 21:10 will frith <willfrith@gmail.com> wrote:

Here in Saigon, we were only under the strictest measures for a few days. Before and after that, we had restrictions on individuals' movement (we were only supposed to travel to and from barricade stations, and were given 2 passes per week per household for grocery and essentials trips). There were a couple of weeks when inter-district delivery wasn't permitted, but businesses within my district were still able to ship. Parcel service was disrupted and got a little inconsistent, but it was still happening. We didn't have it as bad as you're describing, though. Goods were still moving around, barring the few more-restricted days (2 or 3, I'm having trouble remembering many details about that time). Sorry to hear about what y'all are experiencing, though. Sounds really challenging.

Will Frith

unaffiliated

American in Saigon

On Sat, Oct 30, 2021 at 7:36 PM Ben Quick <bnquick74@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear members,

I’m trying to get a clear picture of exactly what restrictions were put in place in Hanoi an Saigon during the fourth wave of COVID in order to compare with Da Nang and other cities. I’ve heard so many different things my head is about to explode, but it is essential I get this correct. Please bear with me, and please, if anyone has firsthand knowledge from Hanoi or Saigon, I would be grateful if you could just take a minute to say a few words. Even a simple yes or no to the following (lengthy) question would be great.

Here in Da Nang there was a period of time in where nobody was allowed outside for any reason: not food, not medicine, not essentials of any kind. No delivery of anything by anyone was allowed. There was a 24 hour curfew. If you didn’t have enough food or diapers, there was no legal way for you to acquire them. You were not given shopping passes. One day at the end of August you were told to spend the next three days preparing enough supplies for a week and then locked in your house/apartment and left to fend for yourself with what you had stockpiled. This was a directive on top of Directive 16 and was referred to by the local peoples’ committee as a “Radical Lockdown.” It was citywide. After 7 days, it was extended to 10 days, then to 14. At that point the stay-at-home order was still in place, but ward leaders were directed to begin a process of helping provide supplies to people.

This is Vietnam, so obviously informal and underground channels of food production and sharing developed, but these were the explicit legal requirements, and for the most part, they were enforced.

My question is this: were legal restrictions in Saigon or Hanoi this strict on a citywide level at any point during the fourth wave of covid?

If anyone knows the answer I would be incredible grateful. A simple yes or no is really all I need. Although specifics would certainly be welcome.

I know we could get into all kinds of nuances about different zones, the law vs the reality, and other matters. I’m just interested in official citywide policy that can be documented and cited as such.

Again, thank you for your help here. This would seem to be a simple question with a cut and dry answer, but I’ve been trying to get one for a week without success.

Best wishes and many thanks,

Ben Quick

AUV