Vietnamese citizens at Kuala Lumpur put up signs thanking the Vietnamese Government for arranging the repatriation flight. — VNA/VNS Photo Hà Ngọc

HÀ NỘI — A total of 273 Vietnamese citizens stranded in Malaysia have arrived in Việt Nam on a specially arranged repatriation flight Sunday evening.

This was a joint effort of Vietnamese competent agencies at home and its representative agencies in Malaysia, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, and competent agencies of the host country.

The passengers included those under 18 years old, elderly and sick people, stranded tourists and students who did not have accommodation due to dormitory closures.

While waiting for departure at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur international airport, a group posed for photo in which they put up signs expressing gratitude to the Vietnamese Government for efforts in arranging this flight to get them home, according to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in the country.

Right after landing in Đà Nẵng City's international airport in central Việt Nam, they will be placed in centralised quarantine for 14 days to prevent virus spread as Việt Nam enters 24 days without any new community transmission cases.

Malaysia meanwhile recorded 67 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 6,656, with 108 deaths.

The Malaysian government has decided to extend the travel and business restrictions for four more weeks until June 9 to contain the disease spread as the Southeast Asian country gradually reopens its economic activities.

Earlier on May 8-9, 276 Vietnamese citizens were flown home from Vancouver, Canada, also on a Vietnam Airlines flight.

The Vietnamese Consulate General in Vancouver sent officials to the airport to help the citizens with necessary procedures.

Upon their arrival at Vân Đồn airport in the northern province of Quảng Ninh, the passengers had medical check-ups and then were quarantined in line with Việt Nam’s regulations.

Meanwhile, 161 Vietnamese citizens – including one pregnant woman and two children – brought back on a repatriation flight from San Francisco, the US, on May 9 and being quarantined in the central province of Thanh Hoá all tested negative for the coronavirus on their first test, Thanh Hoá Centre for Disease Control announced on Sunday.

In the coming days, more repatriation flights will be arranged to bring back Vietnamese citizens from overseas, however, the number and schedule of such flights will be decided based on the COVID-19 pandemic's developments, quarantine capacity of Vietnamese localities, and the requests of Vietnamese citizens living or staying overseas. — VNS