Table A1.

The overall policy measures to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam (as of 24 July 2020).

Measure	Period I (23 January–5 March): 16 CCs and 190 PDs	Period II (6–19 March): 69 CCs and 125 PDs	Period III (20 March–21 April): 183 CCs and 357 PDs	Period IV (22 April–24 July): 149 CCs and 280 PDs
(1) Outbreak announcements and steering documents	The outbreak in Vietnam was declared on 23 January in telegraph 121/PM after the first 2 Chinese CCs [183]; The international emergency outbreak was proclaimed on 30 January by the WHO [184,185], and the NSCPC was established on the same day after the first 3 Vietnamese CCs, #3–#5, who returned from Wuhan [36,186,187]. One day later, directive 06/PM on strengthening the prevention and control measures was issued [9]. The national epidemic was declared on 1 February in decision 173/PM due to CC #6 infected from #1 [10,58,108].	The first SCC in Vietnam, CC#17, was published on 6 March [38,188]. The 2nd period of the outbreak was declared on 8 March [38]. COVID-19 as a global pandemic was declared on 11 March by the WHO [187] [189]. This hot news, in Vietnam, immediately the next day, was released on many official channels [190,191,192,193,194]	Period III was declared on 23 March by the PM [165] after 3 CCs (#86, #87, and #91) appeared on 20 March [45,166]. Period III became the most complex phase of the pandemic in Vietnam in directive No. 15/PM dated on 27 March [195]. Social distancing and social isolation were officially applied throughout the country from 31 March according to directive No. 16/PM [196]. Announcement of the nationwide pandemic on 1 April appeared in decision No. 447/PM [197].	“Dual mission”: both economic development and COVID-19 pandemic prevention [172].
(2) Medical measures	Treatment regimens constantly updated from the WHO’s guidance and inherited experience from the SARS epidemic in 2013 [78] to provide specific treatment strategies for each patient [198], as of 25 February, all first 16 CCs recovered and discharged [199]. Isolating and raising new strain of corona virus successfully in Vietnam on 2 February [81,89,90]. Vietnam manufactured Sars-Cov-2 detection kit with capacity of 10,000 sets/day from 4 March [91].	Compulsory medical declaration (MD) for all people entering the country from 7 March [38,83,84], voluntary MD for all people nationwide from 10 March [86]. 2 mobile applications (“NCOVI” and “Vietnam MD”) introduced by the MOH and the MIC on 10 March [45,164] after CC #34 on the same day—the most SCC in period II, who infected 11 others [37]. The detection kit of Vietnam ordered to buy by 20 foreign countries as of Mar 17 [200,201], and exported to the first 4 countries: Malaysia, Iran, Finland and Ukraine [201].	Compulsory MD for all people nationwide from 20 March according to dipatch No.1436/ NSCPC [38,85]; Electronic MD applied for all domestic travelers from 21 March [88]; Voluntary MD in education area for the all 2.4 million pupils, students and 1.5 million teachers from 26 March [87]. 10 field testing stations deployed throughout Hanoi from 31 March after Bach Mai outbreak 28 March [10,202]. Vietnam recorded and isolated successfully two in three different SARS-CoV-2 viruses as of early April [90,203]. A successful study of antibody testing method (rapid test) announced on 27 April [204].	The Vietnamese COVID-19 test kit approved by WHO and Social Care of the UK as of 21 April [205]. 20,000 COVID-19 test kits of Vietnam exported to 8 countries as of 22 May [206].
(3) School blockade	Students of all 63 provinces left schools as of 6 February according to the telegram No. 156/PM and dispatch No. 716/GO [9,92,93,94,95].	The students’ vacation extended until the end of March, or early April in 27/63 provinces as of 13 March due to the pandemic [207].	All school operations nationwide closed to the end of April, 2020 [96,97,98,99,100].	Students of 7/63 provinces returned the schools from 20–24 April [9]. More 30/63 provinces reopened the schools on 27 April [9].
(4) Emergency responses	An urgent meeting was held in Hanoi on 23 January when the epidemic spreading in Korea, Japan [208]; A series of COVID-19 QRTs established: 25 QRTs of the MOH and 20 QRTs of the MOD (23–31 January); 31/47 central public hospitals (45 QRTs) and all provincial hospitals (1–2 QRTs/hospital) on February [9,102,103,104]. Close and urgent coordination between stakeholders, such among 21 hospitals, the MOH and the MOD [9,154].	Night of 6 March and 7 March: urgent meetings in Hanoi about CC #17—the first case in Hanoi and discussing the timely solutions [105,107].	The most provincial emergency meetings were carried out (after each complicated CC announced) such in Thai Nguyen on 28 March (due to Bach Mai hospital’s outbreak); Lai Chau on 24 March; Hanoi, Dong Nai and Ha Nam on 7 April due to CCs #133, #243, #247 and #251, respectively [106,108,109,110,111]; 2 urgent dispatches at midnight 28 March to prevent the SCCs issued by Hanoi PC because of Bach Mai—the hottest outbreak [209].	An emergency meeting in Ha Giang province on 16 April to quarantine 2 communes, 2 hospitals, and to block 1 village (in Dong Van district) related to CC #268 [112].
(5) Border and entry control measures	All flights from Wuhan canceled from 23 January [9]. The national borders with China tightened and visa issuance restricted for foreigners from 31 January according to directive No. 06/PM [10]. More rules to tighten borders, revoke aviation licenses and restrict visas from 1 February due to decision No. 173/PM after CC #6—the first case infected from the local community [113].	Visas for EU stopped; flights minimized, tourism managed strictly, delegations going to work abroad postponed from 11 March according to directive No. 13/PM [114]. 14-day mandatory isolation in quarantine centers for all passengers who traveled through 59 epidemic countries [115]. Thousands of Vietnamese people rushed home every day from foreign pandemic zones, only in 18 March, nearly 7000 Vietnamese people returned home and quarantined from the airports [210,211]; all international routes suspended from 19 March-30 April [116].	Foreign entry suspended, and all exceptions, including national returnees, had to be implemented mandatory medical tests and 14-day quarantine from 22 March [45].	Reopening domestic routes: The first commercial flight from Tan Son Nhat international airport (of HCMC) to Van Don airport (Quang Ninh province) on 4 May implemented after COVID-19 interruption [212]; the airlines back to the sky from 23 April and from 1 June, the entire domestic flight network allowed to exploit [213]. Reopening international routes: Vietnam Airlines flew its first international flight to China on 18 July, after more than 5 months of the pandemic with all 270 Chinese passengers [214].
(6) Social isolation and nationwide social isolation measures	All festivals canceled in the epidemic provinces from 2 February as a result of telegram No. 156/PM [94]. The first mandatory isolation center established at the 123rd regiment (3 February) in Lang Son province to receive more than 400 Vietnamese people from China and isolated them for 14 days [10]. Blockade for in-place isolation: with 11 CCs in Son Loi commune (of Binh Xuyen district, Vinh Phuc province), nearly 11,000 people in the whole commune cordoned off—the first quarantined locality in its place (13 February–4 March) [10,37,129].	Blockade for in-place isolation: 190 people of all households (HHs) from number 125 to 139 Truc Bach street where CC #17’s HH living (6-20 March) [10,37,45,130]; 2 routes (Hoang Van Thu and Ngo Sy Lien) of Phan Thiet city where CC #38 living with 150 people (CC #38—the first case in Binh Thuan province—infected from CC #34) (13 March–3 April) [10,118]; all 900 HHs, 5600 people of Van Lam 3 village (Phuoc Nam commune, Thuan Nam district) where CCs #61 and #67 (the first CCs in Ninh Thuan province) living (17 March–14 April) [119,120]; all nearly 1600 people of Thua Loi village where CC #123 (the first CC in Ben Tre province) living (23 March–20 April) [121,122,123]; Mandatory isolation at quarantine centers: the military had organized 97 isolation centers for more than 62,000 Vietnamese and foreigners from the pandemic zones, as of 19 March [165].	The contagious places closed, such Buddha bar—the biggest infectious place in HCMC due to some CCs related to here (#91, #133, etc) on 21 March [39,40,41]; Gia Dinh shoes company on 24 March because of many workers here contacting with CC #124—one SCC [43]. Blockade for in-place isolation: 2 locations of Lai Chau city—area of CC #133’s HH living (24 March–21 April) [124]; Bach Mai hospital—the most complex outbreak in Vietnam with more than 10 CCs (28 March–10 April) [45,125,126] and Ha Loi village (of Me Linh district) due to CC #243—one SCC (7–30 April) [10]. Messages were sent to 18,000 the relevant people who had been to Bach Mai hospital since 12 March to request quarantine as of 30 March [127]. The whole Vietnamese society quarantined within 15 days from Apr 1 according to directive No. 16/PM [10,131,132].	Blockade for in-place isolation: the whole Dong Van town (Ha Giang province) with 1629 HHs, equivalent to 7623 people from 22 April due to CC #268 [128]. Pandemic prevention integrated with economic recovery: Social isolation basically stopped nationwide from 23 April, except for some high-risk areas in Hanoi, Ha Giang and Bac Ninh. Some activities were still required to be completely banned such festivals, crowded sports events, facility operations discotheque, karaoke, massage, makeup, flower shop, zoo, etc [215]. In Hanoi, where having the most CCs in the country, except for Me Linh and Thuong Tin districts, other districts stopped social isolation, many socio- economic activities gradually resumed [216].
(7) Financial supports	Free amenities for quarantined people: exempting from medical examination and treatment expenses; granted free of charge with drinking water, face towels, face masks, water for hand sanitizers, oral disinfectants, toothbrushes, bath soap and other essential items serving daily needs and free in moving to quarantine centers [217]; International supports: from Japan (JP ¥14 million on 7 February; test bio-kit worth JP ¥4 million on 21 February) [141].	Funding for COVID-19 screening exams, such as VND 3.5 billion provided on 11 March by Hanoi PC [9]. Official information of the waiver of the full treatment fee for all CCs and all people isolated in the quarantine centers and at home published on 13 March [9].	A letter calling for all people to support the fight against the pandemic was issued by the national government on 17 March. Up to this time, more than 30 units were supported with VND 235 billion [218]. Domestic supports: over VND 33 billion from some famous people as of 20 March; on 3 April, Vingroup—one of the largest multidisciplinary private economic groups in Asia—located in Vietnam [219], committed to donate to the MOH 5,000 ventilators [220]; as of 9 April, 2.2 million support messages (equivalent to VND133 billion) [221]. International supports: from Japan (more than JP ¥200 million, medical technologies and 50.000 face masks as of 9 April), the USA (USD 4.5 million as of 16 April [141]. “Rice ATM”: The first rice ATM was operated in HCMC on 6 April [135], then it was replicated in many other provinces [136,137]. A VND 62,000 billion social security package was mentioned in Resolution No. 42/GOV on 9 April [222]. Electricity price reduced from Apr to Jun 2020 [198].	A VND 62 trillion social security package was officially approved in decision No. 15/PM on 24 April with the recipients including employees in all 63 provinces who postponed the performance of labor contracts and took leave without pay for at least 1 month, enterprises without revenue/financial resources to pay wages, employers, individual business households and many other social objects such the poor, people with meritorious services to the revolution [134]. International supports: from the USA, USD 9.5 million, including USD 5 million for economic assistance funds and USD 4.5 million medical assistance—according to announcement of the US Department of State on 1 May [142], and support from Korea and France [141]. Free supermarket: The first VND zero supermarket in HCMC was established to support the poor on 21 April [138], then it spread to many other provinces [139,140].
(8) Other measures	Management was strengthened to avoid collecting and storing goods from 31 January [9]. People were advised about information related through 2 free hotline numbers, 19003228 (from 31 January) and 1900 9095 (from 2 February) and a virtual assistant (chatbot) at https://ehealth.gov.vn of the MOH (from 14 February) [9]; Handling violations: 1136 cases of price violations at medical equipment stores and drugstores nationwide handled, as of 2 February [9]; Military rehearsal in the whole army: more than 220 nationwide military units conducted drills to prevent and control the epidemic with 5 scenarios (the 5th level scenario 3,000–30,000 CCs) in the form of online on 4 March [223]. An abundance of media products in the form of music launched to raise awareness of disease prevention, such appearance of many COVID-19 songs, in which “Ghen Cô Vy” (published on 23 February) came out—the hottest phenomenon spreading around the world [143,144,145,146].The movement of composing poetry to prevent pandemics exploded strongly in all classes of people [147,148,149].	“Jealous Coronavirus” song was voted in the top 10 of the panic reduction of COVID-19 season on 9 March by Billboard music magazine [224,225]. The original version spread the addition of subtitles in over 25 languages, as of 17 March [226,227]. Cases of posting false information were penalized: 21 cases of posting untrue information on social networks related to the epidemic were penalized, as of 10 March [228]; Everyone must strictly wear masks in public places from 16 March according to announcement No. 98 of the GOV [37,229,230] and Dispatch No. 1360/MOH [231].	Release of COVID TV-series: “The Unforgettable Days” with 50 episodes (25 minutes/episode) screened in the golden hour time (21 p.m.) from Monday to Friday weekly, from 6 April on VTV1 channel—one of the national channels with the most audiences, about propaganda of the pandemic theme integrated with entertainment factors [150,151]. According to our finding, it rated around 200,000 views after 3–5 days of uploading each episode to YouTube. Many meaningful new COVID-19 songs were performed to contribute to repel the pandemic [232]; of which English versions of “Jealous Coronavius”and “Washing hand song” were released on 9 April [233]; as of 12 April, over 100 domestic COVID-19 songs were created, 60 of which were selected in the book “Belief” [234].	Strict penalties for violations of senior officials: on 22 April, Mr. Nguyen Nhat Cam—director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC)-was prosecuted and arrested in detention to investigate the price increase in the process of purchasing COVID-19 testing machines [235]. On 7 July, two more CDC Hanoi managers were also prosecuted due to the same violation [236].