The flight, which will take off at midnight and land in the southern city of Can Tho Wednesday morning, is being organized following a previous request by the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines and many Vietnamese citizens, a Vietnam Airlines representative said.

Two days ago, the embassy wrote to Vietnam’s National Steering Committee for Control and Prevention of Covid-19 and the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, asking for help in bringing a group of Vietnamese in Cebu back home.

The embassy said many Vietnamese studying in the Filipino city wanted to go home after the authorities there suspended schools in a move to curb the spread of Covid-19.

However, all commercial flights from the Philippines to Vietnam have been halted, stranding them in Cebu.

For this particular Cebu - Can Tho flight, all passengers will have their health checked before getting on the plane and will be quarantined for 14 days after landing.

The entire aircraft will be disinfected after it completes the mission.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last Wednesday had ordered the suspension of all international flights to Vietnam as part of stringent entry restrictions, by air, road and sea.

Starting last Sunday, Vietnam had suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers.

Vietnam has also begun to quarantine for two weeks all people entering the nation from abroad.

Vietnam Airlines has announced that it will suspend all of its international flights from Vietnam starting Wednesday. VietJet Air has made a similar move while Bamboo Airways had stopped flying to South Korea.

Vietnam has recorded 123 infections so far, with 10 fresh cases confirmed Monday.

Since March 6, 107 new cases have been added, of which 106 are under treatment. One patient recovered last week.

Many of the currently active cases are Vietnamese nationals returning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners visiting from the same regions.