DAMASCUS, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian airlines on Sunday brought back home 150 Syrians who were stranded in Qatar as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state news agency SANA reported.

The 150 Syrians arrived in the capital Damascus, where they were checked for high temperatures before being transported to a hotel near the airport for the COVID-19 testing.

The Syrian interior ministry has urged Syrians abroad who want to return home to contact the Syrian embassies and register their names.

The Syrian health ministry said 74 new cases were recorded on Sunday, bringing the overall confirmed infections in government-controlled areas to 2,217, including 505 recoveries and 89 deaths.