In this photo dated Feb 16, 2020, a police road block stands outside Chun Yeung Estate, a temporary quarantine center, in the Fo Tan area of Hong Kong. The returnees flown back from Pakistan will have to spend 14 days at the quarantine facilities. (MAY JAMES / BLOOMBERG)

The first batch of 319 Hong Kong residents stranded in Pakistan came home on a flight chartered by the Hong Kong government on Thursday evening.

All passengers abroad will be tested for coronavirus upon arrival at a temporary center in AsiaWorld-Expo before heading to quarantine facilities at Chun Yeung public housing estate where they will spend the next 14 days.

Meanwhile, the city welcomed a five-day streak of zero COVID-19 case on Thursday, as it entered a four-day long holiday consisting of Buddha’s Birthday and the Labor Day. The local tally remains at 1,037.

All passengers abroad will be tested for coronavirus upon arrival at a temporary center in AsiaWorld-Expo before heading to quarantine facilities at Chun Yeung public housing estate where they will spend the next 14 days.

Each returnee is required to pay about HK$6,000 (US$775) for the trip. They are mostly Hong Kong residents who were staying in the Pakistani capital Islamabad and its surrounding areas, as well as pregnant women, children and those with illnesses from other areas of the country.

The Immigration Department said earlier it had contacted 1,600 Hong Kong residents stuck in Pakistan, which has banned all international flights since late March to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering the large number of people and the limited capacity of testing and quarantine facilities, the Hong Kong government said it has to adopt “a phased approach” in assisting their evacuation.

Besides, immigration officers have successfully contacted some 3,100 Hong Kong residents stranded in India which has imposed a nationwide lockdown since late March amid the coronavirus crisis.

The government is liaising with relevant authorities and several airlines to explore ways to bring home those residents from India as soon as possible.

Contact the writer at jefferygu@chinadailyhk.com