Myanmar extends suspension of international flights till June end

Myanmar on Sunday extended the suspension period of international commercial flights to the end of June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications also announced the extension of the effective period for temporary measures to prevent the importation of COVID-19 to the country through air travel which will end on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Myanmar has so far reported 143,571 COVID-19 cases and 3,216 deaths in the country.

Myanmar`s military junta today also announced the extension of its "non-operation period" against ethnic armed groups to the end of June.

All military operations will be suspended across the country except for the period when security and administrative machinery of the government in addition to state defence and administrative measures are encroached on, the military said in a statement.

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The extension is meant to facilitate talks with the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatory ethnic armed organizations, according to the statement.

Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar due to the February 1 military coup, people are facing a shortage of cash and rising prices of goods and services as they are withdrawing their savings from banks out of concern for the future.

Four months into military rule since the military coup that ousted the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and with a weakening local currency, the junta has yet to rein in the economic woes precipitated by the power grab, reported Kyodo News.

So far, more than 800 people have died in Myanmar since the military took over the elected government.