Jan 23: The first case of COVID-19 is recorded in Việt Nam. A 66-year-old Chinese man travelled from Wuhan to Việt Nam to visit his son. The man and his son were then hospitalised at Chợ Rẫy Hospital, HCM City.

Việt Nam stops all international flights to and from Wuhan.

Jan 30: Three workers returning from a business trip in Wuhan test positive for coronavirus. Việt Nam records its first three Vietnamese patients. Of which, a female worker, patient 5, from Sơn Lôi Commune, Bình Xuyên District, Vĩnh Phúc Province, infected five other people in close contact with her.

Feb 2: Schools are closed in Việt Nam, with students starting to study online.

Feb 7: The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hà Nội successfully cultures and isolates the then 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the lab.

Feb 13: The number of COVID-19 cases climbs to 16. The 16th patient is the father of patient 5.

Feb 13:  Sơn Lôi Commune, Bình Xuyên District, Vĩnh Phúc Province is locked down until March 4.

Feb 25: 16 patients are given the all-clear. Việt Nam has no new cases for three weeks from February 13 to March 6.

Mar 4: Việt Nam successfully studies and produces a COVID-19 test kit.

Mar 6: The 17th patient, after travelling through Italy, France and England, tests positive for coronavirus five days after landing in Việt Nam and having contact with many people.

An urgent meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control is held on March 6 night.

Trúc Bạch Street, where the 17th patient lives, is immediately locked down until March 20 and sterilised the next morning.

Seventeen people test positive after having close contact with the 17th case, four of which were in the community and 13 of which were on the same flight VN0054 from England to Việt Nam.

Mar 7: Passengers arriving in Việt Nam have to complete health declaration forms provided by the Ministry of Health.

The number of positive cases increases in relation to people returning from Europe to Việt Nam.

Mar 9: The Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Health launch two applications, including NCOVI for Vietnamese people and the Vietnam health declaration for people entering Việt Nam.

Mar 20: The 91st patient, a 43-year-old British pilot of Vietnam Airlines tests positive for the virus. He visited Buddha Bar in HCM City, leading to a number of further infections.

Thirteen people visiting Buddha Bar then test positive, and six people in close contact with the 13 are also infected.

The number of patients connected to the bar soon increases to 19.

March 20: Hà Nội-based Bạch Mai Hospital records the first two cases related to two nurses from the hospital.

March 25: Việt Nam suspends all international flights to contain the spread of the virus until at least April 30.

March 28: Two more cases related to water supply company Trường Sinh Company of Bạch Mai Hospital are recorded. These two people have had contact with many people in the canteen of the hospital.

On the same day, Bạch Mai Hospital is confirmed as another virus hot spot, with unknown origin and complicated travel history of infected patients.

March 29: Bạch Mai Hospital is locked down until April 12.

March 31: Quick COVID-19 test booths are set up in some districts in Hà Nội to test those connected to Bạch Mai Hospital.

April 1: Social distancing is implemented nationwide following Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s Directive 16 issued the previous day.

April 7: Hà Nội imposes a lockdown on Hạ Lôi Village in Mê Linh District following the country’s 243rd COVID-19 patient, who lived and attended a wedding ceremony in the village during his incubation period.

A checkpoint in Hạ Lôi Village. 

April 10: The British Embassy in Việt Nam sends a message to offer special commercial flights from Hà Nội to London on April 14 and HCM City to London on April 12.

April 15: Social distancing in 12 high-risk localities including Hà Nội and HCM City is extended.

The usually crowded Trần Duy Hưng street in Hà Nội was far less occupied during social distancing days. 

April 22: Social distancing is basically eased nationwide from midnight.

April 24: Two new COVID-19 cases are reported after eight days straight without new cases. The two new patients are Vietnamese students from Japan. They are put under quarantine upon arriving in Việt Nam two days earlier.

May 2: The 100th day since the first cases reported in Việt Nam on January 23. Việt Nam has had no new infections in the community for 16 days straight. — VNS