Vietnam repatriates 129 COVID-19 patients from Equatorial Guinea

A plane carrying 129 COVID-19 patients landed in Hanoi on Wednesday, rapatriating Vietnamese citizens from Bata, in Equatorial Guinea.

The patients, who were in stable condition after their 12-hour-long flight, were transferred to hospital for treatment.

Wearing all in blue protective gear, they stepped out of the plane chanting "Thank you Vietnam for bringing us home."

The four doctors onboard, the other 100 passengers and the flight crew were also brought to hospital and will have to quarantine for 14 days.

Hanoi's hospital of tropical diseases has cleared 500 beds to treat the new imported cases.

Equatorial Guinea has reported 3,071 coronavirus cases and 51 deaths.

While Vietnam has stepped up measures to control a recent domestic coronavirus outbreak that started on the city beach of, on the African continent, the pandemic has yet to reach its peak.