A total of 346 Vietnamese citizens are brought home safe from the US on Thursday. — Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

HÀ NỘI — A total of 346 Vietnamese citizens were brought home safely from the US on Thursday.

The flight was arranged by domestic agencies, the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, and US agencies.

Passengers were mostly children, pregnant women, students who face difficulties in accommodation and visa extension, and some businesspeople and experts.

To help citizens complete necessary procedures, the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington DC sent officials to Dulles airport.

Preventive measures were taken during the flight. After landing at Hà Nội’s Nội Bài International Airport, crew members and passengers had their body temperature checked and were quarantined as regulated.

Under the Prime Minister’s instruction, Vietnamese authorities and representative offices abroad will continue conducting more flights to bring Vietnamese citizens home, based on the citizens’ aspirations and quarantine capacity in localities.

Gifts to New York City

Customs procedures for two tonnes of Vietnamese-made antibacterial cloth and surgical facemasks, a gift from Hà Nội to New York City, have been completed to hand over to New York City, according to the Vietnamese Embassy in the US and Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

On behalf of the New York government and people, the New York City's Commissioner for International Affairs, Penny Abeywardena, on Thursday conveyed gratitude to the Hà Nội authorities and people, saying the move was very practical as New York City is still struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said that he hoped the gift of Hà Nội's people will contribute a small part to help New Yorkers overcome the pandemic.

The ambassador also expected New York City and Hà Nội to have more opportunities for co-operation in the future, especially between businesses, to promote economic and social development and overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. — VNS