Vietnamese government response to the COVID-19 pandemic

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The government of Vietnam prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic as early as the first cases in China emerged in December 2019, and pursued a zero-COVID strategy until September 2021.

In January 2020, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc ordered measures to prevent and counter the spread of the disease into Vietnam,^[1] as well as to warn Vietnamese citizens to avoid visiting areas with outbreaks.^[2] During the same year, authorities enacted several lockdowns in response to localised outbreaks. Contact tracing and social distancing measures were rolled out, and Vietnam's communications and propaganda apparatus dispelled information about the disease. In 2021, a vaccination programme began, whilst outbreaks in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi prompted the government to introduce further lockdowns, which were ultimately lifted due to their economic and social impacts, and continued spread of the Delta variant.

Reception for the government's response was mixed. While the government's decisiveness and effectiveness in controlling the disease during 2020 received high public approval and international recognition, outbreaks the following year and low vaccine uptake signalled a decline in public trust. The human rights implications of some interventions attracted controversy, whilst the Việt Á scandal related to COVID-19 testing led to several senior officials resigning, being removed from office, or facing prosecution for corruption.