The Myanmar government has so far repatriated 17,640 nationals stranded in foreign countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, according to a release from the Foreign Affairs Ministry late Friday.

Since the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, the international commercial flights suspended their operation and the Myanmar government has been bringing back its citizens stranded abroad by relief flights or special flights.

A total of 54 Myanmar nationals stranded in Cambodia and 147 from Singapore arrived at the Yangon International Airport by two separate relief flights on Friday, the ministry's release said.

Under the management of the respective ministries and the Yangon Region government, the returnees will be put under a 14-day facility quarantine and 7-day home quarantine upon their arrivals.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar government has extended the effective period of temporary entry restrictions for incoming visitors and suspension of operating international air services to prevent importation of the disease through air travel until the end of October.

COVID-19 was first detected in Myanmar on March 23 this year and a total of 15,525 infection cases with 353 deaths were reported as of late Friday, according to the latest figures from the Health and Sports Ministry.