Hundreds of pandemic-hit migrant workers brought home from southern localities

Hanoi (VNA) – A Vietnam Airline flight arrived at Da Nang International Airport from Ho Chi Minh City on October 4, bringing nearly 200 disadvantaged people from southern cities and provinces back to their hometown – the central province of Quang Nam.

More than a half of the passengers were pregnant women, children and the elderly who have been affected by social distancing measures applied to contain the severe COVID-19 resurgence in southern Vietnam.

The national flag carrier imposed required preventive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, with all of passengers tested negative for COVID-19 before boarding the flight.

Upon their arrival in Da Nang, they departed for Quang Nam where they were immediately put under quarantine in accordance to the current regulations.

In July and August, Quang Nam welcomed back over 4,000 returnees from southern cities and provinces given the complexity of the COVID-19 outbreaks there.

On early October 5, more than 600 natives of northern Ninh Binh province arrived at their homeland by train from HCM City and the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai.

They were mostly pregnant women, revolutionary contributors, the elderly, those with disabilities and children under one and their caregivers, who have been struggling with the pandemic.

The train was arranged by the Ninh Binh People’s Committee that had sent working groups to pandemic-hit localities in the south to seek suitable solutions to bring back their residents.

In Quang Ninh, local authorities have also ordered district-level administrations to provide support for returnees from the pandemic-hit areas who will be transported from the province’s COVID-19 checkpoints to concentrated quarantine sites. After that, they are also required to go into 7-day self-quarantine and 7-day medical monitoring./.