Strict epidemic prevention measures were taken when 210 Chinese people who had been stranded in Afghanistan returned to China on a Xiamen Airlines flight on Friday, the carrier said.

Flight MF8008 took off from Kabul, Afghanistan, and landed in Wuhan, Hubei province. Twenty-two passengers were confirmed infected with COVID-19, with 30 asymptomatic carriers, the Hubei Health Commission said on Wednesday.

According to the company, each passenger received a serum test once and nucleic acid test twice. One of the nucleic acid test had to be completed within 48 hours of boarding.