People wearing face masks walk on a street in Buenos Aries, Argentina, on July 12, 2020. (Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua)

The Chinese Embassy in Argentina is collecting applications from Chinese citizens stranded in Argentina in order to organize chartered flights for them to return home amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. International flights between the two countries have been disrupted due to the epidemic, leaving them with few other options.

The embassy created an application process in WeChat for those requesting to fly back to China, following several requests by Chinese citizens stranded in the country. The deadline for applications ends at 5 pm on Monday, according to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Argentina on its official WeChat account on Saturday.

Those hoping to fly home must meet certain conditions, including being a citizen of the People's Republic of China; entering Argentina after December 20, 2019; traveling to Argentina for temporary visits; or having a severe illness. The applicants must also not have been infected with the novel coronavirus, the statement said.

Applicants are expected to bear all possible risks and expenses associated with the flight home, and to accept quarantine arrangements during the flight and upon arrival at the destination. Nucleic acid tests are also required prior to departure.

As of 9:15 am Monday, Argentina had reported 246,499 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to data from the Coronavirus Resource Center of Johns Hopkins University.

So far, chartered flights have been organized between China and several other countries during the pandemic, including the US, Germany, Singapore and India to help stranded personnel return to China.