A COVID-19 Lockdown Tabletop Exercise in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: This exercise aimed to validate New Taipei City's strategic plan for a city lockdown in response to COVID-19. The main goal of all solutions was the principle of "reducing citizen activity and strengthening government control". METHODS: We created a suitable exercise, and creating 15 hypothetical situations for three stages. All participating units designed and proposed policy plans and execution protocols according to each situation. RESULTS: In the course of the exercise, many existing policies and execution protocols were validated to address. Situations occurring in Stage 1, when the epidemic was spreading to the point of lockdown preparations, approaches to curb the continued spread of the epidemic in Stage 2, and returning to work after the epidemic is controlled and lockdown is lifted in Stage 3. Twenty response units participated in the exercise. Although favourable outcomes were obtained, the evaluators provided comments suggesting further improvements. CONCLUSIONS: Our exercise demonstrated a successful example to help policy making and revision in a large city over 4 million population during COVID-19 pandemic. It also enhanced participants' subject knowledge and familiarity with the implementation of a city lockdown. For locations intending to go into lockdown, similar tabletop exercises are an effective verification option.