In the initial phase of the pandemic, Vietnam successfully contained it through a strategy of detecting, isolating, tracing, quarantining, and treating patients. But with the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus, the pandemic began to spread quickly and widely, wreaking havoc on Vietnam’s economy.

This prompted the country to change its COVID-19 response strategy to resume socio-economic activities despite rising infections in the community.

Vietnam has begun quarantining patients at home, shortening the quarantine period, lifting certain testing requirements, revising pandemic levels, reviving tourism, and distributing anti-virus medicines to pharmacies.

In addition to accelerating vaccination nationwide, the Health Ministry is preparing to vaccinate children 5 to 12 years old and is working to minimize COVID-19-related deaths.

Vietnam is developing a roadmap to return to normalcy, with COVID-19 treated as just another disease and restrictions eased on immigrants, COVID-19 patients with light symptoms, and individuals who have had contact with a COVID-19 patient.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said: "The Foreign Ministry needs to propose immigration regulations appropriate to the new situation. The Ministry of Education and Training is working with the Ministry of Health and other Ministries and agencies to re-open schools in a safe manner. To deal with the unexpected, we should first pilot whatever we think is possible and appropriate. We can then adjust our policies to make our response to the pandemic more effective."