The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Myanmar has announced that it will extend the COVID-19 entry restrictions in the country until June 30th. It was previously expected that the measures would be eased on June 15, but this was ultimately not deemed feasible.
The government has also confirmed that all visa exemptions and visa issuance facilities will remain suspended during this period. This means that it will not be possible to obtain a Myanmar visa for Indians until the beginning of July, at the earliest.
Why Myanmar is extending its COVID travel restrictions
Myanmar has decided to extend its entry ban due to the surge of COVID in Asia, in an effort to contain the spread of the virus within the country’s borders. On May 31st, the Myanmar Health and Sports Ministry reported that 58 new cases had been recorded, bringing the total number of cases in the country up to 143,629.
While Myanmar has recorded roughly 3,217 COVID-related deaths at the time of writing, a total of 132,319 patients have been discharged from hospitals and recovered from the virus. Nevertheless, the government has decided to curb the further spread of the virus by postponing the planned easing of the travel restrictions by an additional two weeks.
Current Entry Restrictions for Myanmar
In addition to extending the entry restrictions for all foreign citizens, Myanmar has also suspended all flights to the country until 30th June with the exception of medevac flights.
All travellers who currently wish to visit Myanmar are required to have proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test, with the exception of nationals of Myanmar. The test must have been taken at least 72 hours before the departure of the traveler’s flight.
All passengers must also quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Myanmar. Airline crew, on the other hand, are only required to quarantine until their next flight.
Although visas for Myanmar are not currently being issued, exceptions may be granted for some travellers, including diplomats and…