During the webinar, we shared five key control measures used to effectively contain the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

– First, Vietnam took early and strong actions. National policies prioritized the health of its people with mass mobilization of resources across sectors. Prior to the first case of COVID-19, the country had developed action plans and technical guidelines for COVIID-19 responses.

– Second, screening and testing were implemented nationwide, focusing upon high-risk groups regardless of their symptoms or exposure to detect new cases and identify chains of transmission.

– Third, rigorous contact tracing has been undertaken to identify close contacts exposed to infectious cases in the previous 14 days. All close contacts were asked to list their own contacts to allow early triage if that contact developed COVID-19.

– Fourth, 14-day quarantine was mandated for people with history of exposure or suspect cases, regardless of initial test results. All confirmed cases were managed at designated quarantine hospitals.

– Finally, preventive measures were mandated, including wearing masks, social distancing and a restriction on international arrivals to Vietnam. Partial lockdowns were implemented in communities where new outbreaks occurred.