Approximately 80,000 tourists have been evacuated from a popular Vietnamese city after multiple confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported.
According to Reuters.com, travelers filled Da Nang International Airport on Monday after the government ordered evacuations of mostly domestic tourists back to their homes, with carriers operating approximately 100 flights daily to 11 cities across Vietnam.
The evacuation process is expected to take four days to complete.
While Vietnam remains closed to foreign tourism, there has been a surge in domestic tourists looking to take advantage of discounted flights and holiday packages to local resorts. The government has also reintroduced social distancing measures in Da Nang.
Authorities confirmed the first community infections since April on Saturday and another 11 cases linked to a Danang hospital were reported on Monday. Travelers returning home from Da Nang will be required to quarantine for 14 days.
As a result of the confirmed cases and the previously unseen strain of coronavirus discovered in the country, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered police to crack down on illegal immigration.
Vietnam will continue to impose strict quarantine measures and carry out an aggressive testing program as the viral outbreak continues.