A Vietnam Airlines plane touched down at Da Nang International Airport on June 5, bringing home more than 340 Vietnamese citizens left stranded in Japan due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The flight was arranged by various Vietnamese authorities, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, and national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.

The majority of passengers on the flight were made up of children, the elderly, sick individuals, pregnant women, students who have completed their studies but whose visas have expired or who have no accommodation due to their schools and dormitories closing, in addition to guest workers whose labour contracts have expired.

In line with instructions issued by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working closely with the Ministry of Transport, relevant Vietnamese agencies, and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad in an effort to arrange flights that are capable of bringing home Vietnamese nationals stranded in foreign countries due to the COVID-19.

Upon arrival, all crew members and passengers onboard underwent extensive medical check-ups, before being transferred to quarantine facilities in order to undergo further health checks according to the regulations put in place to prevent the spread of the virus locally.

Any positive cases of the SAR-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 will be immediately transferred to medical facilities to receive treatment in order to avoid the risk of the virus reaching the wider community.

The nation will continue to arrange flights aimed at bringing home Vietnamese citizens depending on future developments regarding the pandemic, the quarantine capacity of Vietnamese localities, and demand among Vietnamese nationals currently situated abroad.