Late on Wednesday, Vietnam's government extended a two-week period of social distancing for 12 provinces in the country, including capital Hanoi and the southern business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, but lifted those measures for most rural areas.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) had previously said that domestic flights would remain suspended to fully comply with social distancing measures.

But following Wednesday's announcement, the CAAV granted permission for four domestic airlines to resume flights between key routes, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the central city of Danang.

In a statement, Vietnam Airlines said they had been allowed to increase the number of flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city to two a day.

Jetstar Pacific Airlines, a joint venture between the state carrier and Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd, will also be allowed to operate one daily round trip between the two cities, the statement added.

VietJet Air was given permission for 10 cargo flights a day, one daily flight between Hanoi and Danang, and another between Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, the budget airline said in a statement.

Helped by a mass quarantine and aggressive contact-tracing, Vietnam's health ministry has recorded 267 cases of the novel coronavirus, and no deaths.

(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by James Pearson, William Maclean)