Approval was given to the arrangement of repatriation flights for Vietnamese leaving Ukraine. (Photo: VNA)

Deputy PM Minh assigned the Ministry of Finance to allocate funding for the flights and the Ministry of Health has been tasked to provide instructions for COVID-19 preventive rules during the repatriation of Vietnamese citizens.

As of 5:00pm on March 6, more than 2,600 Vietnamese nationals had been evacuated from war-ravaged areas in Ukraine by Vietnamese missions in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Of the people, over 1,700 were moved to Poland, some 290 to Hungary, nearly 600 to Romania and more than 40 to Slovakia.

The Vietnamese missions have assisted people in completing the required legal steps to enter these third countries and cooperated with local authorities and Vietnamese associations to provide them with temporary accommodation, food and other necessities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has been busy working with concerned ministries and agencies and airlines about the takeoff of the repatriation flight from Romania on March 7 and the other from Poland on March 9.

The first, operated by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, departed from Ha Noi for Romania around March 7 noon. It is scheduled to return to Ha Noi the next morning, bringing home 283 Vietnamese people from Bucharest.

The second by Bamboo Airways will fly to Warsaw, Poland on March 9 to repatriate some 270 citizens. It is scheduled to land in Ha Noi the next morning.

The Civil Aviation Authority is planning to organise one more flight to Bucharest on March 10 under the proposal of the MOFA's Consular Department.

The Hanoi Department of Health has agreed to waive the requirement of negative COVID-19 tests or certification of COVID-19 vaccination for Vietnamese leaving Ukraine prior to the departure of their flight home.

However, the returnees are required to strictly observe the 5K and other COVID-19 preventive rules set by the Ministry of Health during their travel. They must also contact a medical station nearest to their residence to go into medical monitoring and test for COVID-19 in accordance with current regulations.