Vietnamese airlines have increased their flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang starting Friday, as the central city has managed to suppress the local COVID-19 outbreak.

From Friday to September 15, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will operate two daily round trips from Hanoi and three from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang.

The number of Vietnam Airlines' daily round trips from Hanoi to Da Nang will be taken to four and from Ho Chi Minh City to five starting September 16 until the end of this month.

Newcomer Bamboo Airways will also enhance the frequency of round trip flights to the central city to two a day from Friday.

Before the change, both Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways had operated only one round trip a day from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang after the Ministry of Transport restored interprovincial coach, railway, and air routes between the city and other localities in Vietnam from September 7.

The airlines will still require social distancing inside the cabin and passengers are asked to wear face masks for the entire duration of the flight.

All crew members and technicians will wear personal protective equipment.

Da Nang was Vietnam’s COVID-19 outbreak epicenter until recently.

A total of 551 local cases, mostly linked to Da Nang, have been registered since July 25, when the beach city reported the first domestic transmission after the nation had gone 99 days without any community-based infection.

It has been 14 days since the central city last recorded a locally-transmitted COVID-19 case.

Da Nang has reopened public beaches and permitted restaurants to resume dine-in service from Friday while non-essential services like karaoke parlors, bars, and dance clubs are still suspended.

Before the new wave of COVID-19 infections hit Da Nang on July 25, there had been 20 flights a day from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to the central city.

Vietnam has documented 1,059 COVID-19 cases, with 893 having recovered and 35 virus-related fatalities as of Friday afternoon, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

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