Characteristics and Containment of 74 Imported COVID-19 Outbreaks: Experiences, Lessons, and Implications — China, 2020–2021

< -type="Summary"> <sec> What is already known about this topic? After the initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, China, the outbreaks during the dynamic-zero policy period in the mainland of China have not been systematically documented.</sec><sec> What is added by this report? We summarized the characteristics of 74 imported COVID-19 outbreaks between March 19, 2020 and December 31, 2021. All outbreaks of early severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants were successfully contained with the aid of nucleic acid testing, modern communication technologies, and non-pharmacological interventions.</sec><sec> What are the implications for public health practice? These findings provide us with confidence for the containment of future emerging infectious diseases alike at early stages to prevent pandemics or to win time to gain experience, develop vaccines and drugs, vaccinate people, and wait for the possible lessening of the virus' pathogenicity. </sec>