Vietjet Air to send back Chinese tourists from Wuhan

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam announced Sunday that budget carrier Vietjet Air has already sent back Chinese passengers on two flights and another two will take off from Cam Ranh Airport in central Vietnam to China's Wuhan City from January 24-27.

Wuhan is the epicentre of a new deadly pneumonia virus outbreak called nCoV which has spread rapidly in 30 provinces of mainland China and to many countries worldwide.

All four flights have been approved by aviation administrations of both countries.

"Passengers on these flights will undergo medical checks to ensure that there are no unusual health symptoms. These flights will assist passengers to return home to Wuhan and it won't carry any passengers back to Vietnam," the CAAV said.

The process of dispatching these flights complies with the recommendations and requirements for disease prevention and control of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). Accordingly, passengers and crew members of these flights wear masks and take other appropriate measures.

Before returning to Vietnam, the aircraft are disinfected in accordance with regulations and procedures on disease prevention.

Amid the current disease outbreak, Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific began refunding tickets for flights to and from China for passengers starting January 24, even though the two companies currently do not have direct flights to Wuhan. At the moment, crew members of both carriers are equipped with masks and medical gloves on flights to and from China.

Previously, the CAAV had canceled all licensed and new flight permits for Vietnamese and foreign airlines operating regular and irregular flights between Vietnam and China's Wuhan.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism also asked tour operators not to organize tours to areas at high risk of nCoV virus infections.

The Ministry of Health stated that as of January 26 (the second day of Lunar New Year) afternoon, of patients suspected of carrying the virus, two have tested positive, 22 negative and 35 are awaiting results.

No Vietnamese have been confirmed infected with the nCoV virus yet. A Chinese father and son confirmed to be infected remain quarantined at the Cho Ray Hospital in Saigon. After three days of treatment, the son no longer has a fever, while the father is still on oxygen support, due to a lung injury.