Vietnam has been a wild ride over the past year in terms of how Covid was handled. At first, we were the envy of the world as we were one of the only places that didn't have any problems and this was because they totally shut the country down and didn't let anyone in.
As predicted, Covid still found its way in though and then the country really went over the top in a way that would impress even Australia as far as lockdowns were concerned.
Then when cases were identified entire neighborhoods got locked down hard, then when that didn't work there were certain cities, including the one I live in that people were not allowed to leave at all. Then when that didn't work they made it so that nobody was allowed to even leave their neighborhoods. When that didn't work they made it so that nobody was allowed to leave their houses and food had to be delivered in a "zero contact" way by the shop leaving the goods outside and payment was made by transfer or by again, having a "zero contact" transfer of cash in envelopes.
None of this actually worked as we are discovering globally. Covid still went wild and the people that were going to die from it, died from it.
The government solution from that point forward was one that they probably should have used a long time ago: They simply stopped releasing statistics about cases. The fearmongering stopped because people had to be allowed to go back to work. The economic devastation was extremely widespread and in a country with very little in the way of social services, people were suffering and in a very rare case of social unrest, the people in major cities started to defy orders and actually break through government barricades.
After that, the mass vaccination began and I believe almost everyone in the country has 2 doses. I don't know how to feel about that. Personally, I was not thrilled about getting the vax but everyone just fell in line and complied with this feeling as though it was their only way to return to a normal life.
As far as getting into Vietnam is concerned, it simply wasn't and still isn't possible unless you have a business visa or some other non tourism related reason for coming in. Then the usual vaccine requirement and negative PCR test process also applies.
There are parts of this country that are heavily reliant on tourism though and none so much, perhaps, as the city of Da Nang, which is where I live. Previously, there had been talk about an coordinated April 1st opening of this country along with some of the other neighboring countries also doing so, but now there are rumblings that this date has been moved to March 15th, which is just under a month from now.
I think this is a very good idea because honestly, prevention of Covid is something that I believe most of the world has long since abandoned. It would be really good for Vietnam to open the doors especially if it is for those who have the same amount of vaccines in their blood as the people that are living here.
As far as my own life is concerned I work online as a teacher so the opening doesn't really change my life a great deal. You do need to look beyond yourself though and realize that there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of people in this city alone that have had their lives completely destroyed by the borders being closed. It is time to open and I think the government realizes this. I am excited about this happening so that this city which has become a ghost town as of late, can return to its former glory.