What is Vietnam's Covid-19 strategy?

Question

Introduction:

Vietnam has a very low number of Covid-19 cases.

If I remember it correctly, back in around March-April while talking to a Vietnamese friend, she told me that they didn't have any deaths and around a couple hundred cases. Checking it today again, there are a little over a thousand cases and 35 deaths.

I tried reading online but could not understand how did they achieve so low numbers and low growth rate.

Questions:

• What is Vietnam's Covid-19 strategy? What did they do to control it?

• Why aren't other nations following their strategy?

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Edit: I want to clarify why I asked specifically about Vietnam. Vietnam is near China. And many Vietnamese work in China and also other countries. I could be wrong if I compare Vietnam with other nations regarding this but this is what I felt before asking this.

Answer 1

Check this: COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam

Some points:

1. More than one million tests have been performed.
2. Vietnam has suspended the entry of all foreigners from 22 March 2020 until further notice to limit the spread of COVID-19. The measure will not apply to diplomats, officials, foreign investors, experts, and skilled workers. For foreigners that entered the country before 1 March including those with temporary residence permits will also be entitled to extensions till 30 June but must present health declarations.
3. Vietnam is cited by global media as having one of the best-organized epidemic control programs in the world.
4. A lot of patient came from China, Cambodia, Thailand and such countries, in illegal ways, but Vietnam didn't do well to keep them away.

See more:

TRANG TIN VỀ DỊCH BỆNH VIÊM ĐƯỜNG HÔ HẤP CẤP COVID-19

COVID-19 Dashboard

Answer 2

Speaking on BBC radio in the UK, Professor Sir John Bell (Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford) and a leading scientist involved with the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine, did suggest the possibility that the Covid-19 virus "had been around before" - and hence in some places there could be a level of immunity.

It was several months ago that I heard Bell say this, and he may have since changed his opinion. However he was talking about the Far East in general and Viet-Nam in particular.

I am afraid this does not answer the question - but it was too long to include as a comment, and I thought it important and relevant to quote Bell's words.