Gavin Wheeldon had nothing but good things to say about the medical staff and volunteers who are caring for him in Sơn Tây Town, 40km north west of the capital.

He says the conditions he is being kept in are first class, and had special praise for the dedicated volunteers doing all they can to keep the country safe.

“For now everything seems ok, everyone is friendly so we all seem to be getting along really, really well,” he said.

“I’ve been speaking to some of the volunteers here and there are a lot more people volunteering than I originally thought.

“They have been doing an awesome, awesome job of this. They have really, really been taking care of us. They are clearly working really hard here. An they came here because they are dedicated to helping Vietnam and help protect the Vietnamese people.

“They treat us better than we probably deserve. We probably don’t deserve to be treated this well. These are very good conditions and it is clear that Vietnam has really been preparing.”

Gavin Wheeldon

Since the first case was reported in Việt Nam, preparations have been quickly put in place to limit the spread of the disease.

As of Wednesday, nobody in the country has died as a result of COVID-19, compared to more than 70 in the UK.

Schools nationwide have been closed since the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, but in Britain, children are still attending classes daily.

“While the rest of the world has waited, Vietnam has been preparing,” Gavin added.

“I think I’m a little frustrated with my own country in the UK for not being this prepared when they are a much wealthier country than Vietnam.”

Gavin was put into quarantine along with a number of other people arriving into Việt Nam last week as part of a countrywide initiative to reduce the spread of the virus. — VNS