These are among the key findings of the sociological survey: “Citizens' Opinions of and Experiences with Government Responses to COVID-19 Pandemic in Viet Nam: Findings from 2^nd Round Phone-Based Survey, 2021”.

The survey was conducted by the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Mekong Development Research Institute (MDRI), with the support and partnership from the Australian Government’s Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Citizens showed great concern about their personal health (68 percent of the respondents) and their children’s education (76 percent).

COVID-19 has had created negative impact on employment and income, with 77 percent of respondents reported income reduction, especially for the poor, ethnic minorities, unskilled, non-agricultural self-employed laborers, those work in the service sector and those living in longer lockdown periods.

The survey also reflects citizens’ preference and expectation. Despite significant economic impacts, most respondents clearly prioritized health over economy.

As many as 83 percent of the respondents agreed that “The government’s highest priority should be saving as many lives as possible, even if it means the economy will sustain more damage and recover slowly”.

The Vietnamese experience has demonstrated to the world that public trust and confidence underpin success in government responses, said UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam Caitlin Wiesen.

With the fast and impressive delivery of COVID-19 vaccination in Viet Nam in recent months, together with citizens’ support for mask mandates and the Government’s agile responses, she said, expressing her belief that Viet Nam is well positioned to overcome the pandemic challenges and to recover soon.