Vietnam's economic growth accelerated from 1.8 percent in the first half of 2020 to 5.6 percent in the same period this year as the global recovery from the pandemic boosted export, the bank said in a report released on July 20. However, the ongoing wave of COVID-19 infections has led to disruption in supply chains and prolonged social distancing measures in many provinces and cities whose growth rates are high. These have severely affected the circulation of goods and greatly limited economic activities in 2021. Also as part of the report, the bank is projecting 7.2 percent economic growth for developing Asia in 2021, compared with its forecast of 7.3 percent in April, as new COVID-19 outbreaks slow the recovery in some regional economies. The COVID-19 pandemic remains the biggest risk to the region's outlook, as outbreaks continue in many economies./.