Burma will allow international flights from 17 April

Bangkok, 19 Mar Burma will allow the arrival of flights from abroad from 17 April after being closed for two years to contain the spread of covid-19, authorities reported this Saturday. Visitors who want to enter the country must be vaccinated with the complete covid-19 schedule, undergo a one-week quarantine and a negative result in two PCR tests to detect the virus upon arrival. The measure, announced by the advisory council created to combat the pandemic, aims to revitalize the country's economy and the tourism sector, according to the MRTV channel, controlled by the military who staged a coup in February 2021. The announcement coincides with a drop in the number of infected people, that 540 new cases and 2 deaths were reported this Saturday, while since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 608,384 infected, including some 19,420 deaths. The vaccination campaign is progressing late and 40 per cent of the population has not yet been vaccinated with both doses. Burma is also in the midst of a profound political, economic and social crisis since the seizure of power of the current military junta, which has encountered widespread popular opposition and ignited armed conflicts throughout the country. Authorities have brutally suppressed dissent, shooting to kill peaceful protesters, and killed 1687 people, according to data from the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners in Burma. CHIEF nc/amd