It is almost six months into the timeline of COVID’19, a global pandemic that shook the world and gave many economies an expensive halt. The ease of transmission of this newly discovered coronavirus let no part of the world escape its outbreak. However, a few countries managed to flatten the curve with great disparity and in a short time frame. At times, some nations even emerged with an early success story but soon faced an out lash beyond control. Therefore, it is best to reflect on the learnings from countries that impressed with their handling of the COVID’19 outbreak overtime.
Countries That Are Better At Battling The COVID’19 Outbreak
The continuous efforts and innovative approaches of some nations showed note-worthy outcomes. The following nations best understood that the pandemic was less of a race and more a marathon of effectively dealing with the crisis.
1. Vietnam
Image Credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh for Pixabay
Vietnam’s speedy recovery along with effective control on the spread of COVID’19 truly narrates an impressive tale. As per recent numbers, Vietnam has had zero fatalities caused due to the spread of the virus so far.
Neighboring Countries: Cambodia, China, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand
2. Taiwan
A majority of people who were tested positive for COVID’19 in Taiwan have successfully recovered. The country reports very few casualties so far and is taking constant constructive steps to further reduce it.
Neighboring Countries: The Philippines, China, Japan
3. Iceland
As of now, Iceland has more than 1800 confirmed cases of COVID’19 and has effectively managed a recovery rate of 98%. The method of aggressive testing played a substantial role in the increased recovery rate.
Neighboring Countries: Scotland (Nearest)
4. Australia
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International border closure, spatial distancing, and access to telehealth facilities were some of the key aspects that helped Australia to sustain the spread of the virus. Australia is also conducting many lab tests to work out the vaccine of this virus.
Neighboring Countries: New Zealand
5. New Zealand
Early precautionary actions along with strict nation-wide lockdown, kept on hold the spread of this easily transmitted disease in New Zealand. The strictness of the precautionary measure also inculcated a sense of awareness among the citizens at an early age.
Neighboring Countries: Australia, Fiji
6. Finland
In order to combat the spread of this virus, Finland put into use the hybrid strategy. Through this strategy, all the restrictions imposed on the nation in order to cope with this pandemic will be strategically and slowly be laid off. This will not only ensure cases to not rise drastically and but also to start living with the new normal.
Neighboring Countries: Norway, Russia, Sweden
7. Malaysia
Timely enforcement of the Movement Control Order in Malaysia helped the country to keep a track on the number of COVID’19 positive cases. The order was imposed by the Malaysian government on 18th March 2020.
Neighboring Countries: Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam
What Do These Countries Have In Common?
When it came to dealing with the COVID’19 outbreak, each country had its own measures based on its geography, economy, and disaster management, however, there were some striking similarities. The following points state the common measures taken by the countries that best dealt with the pandemic.
- Ensuring strict social distancing rules across the nation and especially in areas that were majorly affected
- Imposing a strategic lockdown and containment strategy
- Inculcating awareness of the disease, its spread, and symptoms, with a healthy account of knowledge of the consequences
- Instilling a sense of personal responsibility in the citizens with a mass awareness program
- Well-planned disaster management with flexible crisis management measures
- Ensuring effective health control measures and frequent testing of people for COVID’19 in various parts of the country
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It was noticed that a balance of both strict social distancing rules and health control measures helped many countries to move a step further in making things better for their citizens. Moreover, it helped things to get close to normal and so helped their economies to get back on track. Even though some countries like Taiwan and Vietnam were at a great geographical disadvantage with respect to the spread of this disease, taking effective and timely measures helped a great deal. On the contrary, some nations like Australia, Iceland, and New Zealand used the geographical advantage as a stepping stone to further take control of the outbreak. Stepping into the new normal, countries that impressed with their handling of the COVID’19 outbreak not only set examples that other areas can learn from but also made clear that learnings are not rigid.
