Vietnam repatriates 100 British tourists as Covid-19 fight intensifies

Approved by the government of Vietnam and the U.K., the flight departed Phnom Penh on Monday before transiting in Hanoi to pick up the stranded British.

Prior to boarding, passengers were given a health check and told to keep a minimum distance of two meters when queuing. Face masks were mandatory during the flight.

Among those repatriated on the special flight were some British tourists infected with Covid-19, who have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

The aircraft also carried antibacterial cloth masks donated by the Vietnamese government and people to the U.K. where nearly 94,000 infections have been confirmed, including over 12,000 deaths.

The flight would carry Vietnamese nationals, including overseas students under the age of 18, seniors and those in difficulty on its return. It is scheduled to land at Van Don Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Wednesday. All returnees will be placed under quarantine for health supervision.

Last week, Vietnam Airlines also carried 600 German and other Europeans stranded in Vietnam back home on two special flights funded by Germany.

Vietnamese carriers suspended all international flights on March 25.

Since March 22, Vietnam has prohibited entry for all foreign nationals. Only Vietnamese and foreigners carrying diplomatic or official passports are allowed in, and all are quarantined for 14 days.

As isolation facility overload lessens, the Vietnamese government is planning to repatriate those Vietnamese abroad wishing to return home. The country has brought home nearly 4,600 Vietnamese from pandemic-hit areas since early February.

Vietnam’s Covid-19 infection count came to 267 as of Wednesday morning. Of these, 98 are active while the remaining 169 have been discharged from hospital.

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed over 126,000 lives, affecting 210 countries and territories.