All international flights to Myanmar will be suspended from March 30, airliners were told in a letter from the transport ministry and civil aviation department.
The measure lasts until April 13 and follows the suspension of all visas services to foreign nationals today in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Relief, all-cargo, medical evacuation and “special flights” approved by the Department of Civil Aviation may still be allowed, according to the letter, which stated the directive had come from the health ministry.
Crews on flights that take night stops may be subject to quarantine restrictions, said the letter.
Myanmar confirmed its eight first Covid-19 cases over the last week. Of these, seven had recently travelled overseas.
However experts suspect the virus was present in Myanmar before this week, as the country shares a long, porous border with China and has so far tested only 372 people out of a population of 54 million.
The country has reportedly appealed to the World Health Organisation for more aid to tackle a possible spread sparked by thousands of migrants returning from Thailand and dispersing through Myanmar last week.
