After aggressive mass testing, Vietnam says it contains coronavirus outbreak

A medical specialist wearing a protective suit collects blood specimens at a rapid testing center for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Hanoi, Vietnam March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Kham

HANOI (Reuters) - Businessman Phan Quoc Viet was making his usual prayers at a pagoda in Tay Ninh, a province in southern Vietnam, when the government official's call came.

It was late January, just after the Lunar New Year. Vietnam had detected its first two cases of the new coronavirus days earlier, and the government was contacting companies with experience of medical testing for urgent help.