Canada extends ban on passenger flights from India till September 21 despite drop in COVID-19 cases

Toronto: The government of Canada has once again extended the ban on direct passenger flights from India till September 21 due to risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The order to extend the ban on passenger flights from India was issued on Monday.

“Canada has extended its ban on direct passenger flights from India until September 21 amid the South Asian country`s enduring struggles to contain the spread of COVID-19 within its borders,’’ Transport Canada said.

"Based on the latest public health advice from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Transport Canada is extending the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that restricts all direct commercial and private passenger flights to Canada from India until September 21, 2021, at 23:59 EDT," the department said in an official statement.

The ban on private and passenger flights was first imposed on April 22 and has already been rolled over several times. It is the fifth time the ban has been extended. The ban was set to expire on August 21 but will now remain in place till September 21. 

Amid all this, several countries have eased restrictions imposed on passenger flights coming from India amid a significant drop in daily COVID-19 cases.

Besides, UK has recently moved India from its ‘red’ to ‘amber’ list which means fully vaccinated passengers from Indians will no longer be subjected to compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine. 

“The UAE, Qatar, India, and Bahrain will be moved from the red list to the amber list. All changes come into effect Sun 8th August at 4 am,” UK Transport Secretary had said in a tweet. The government in the US and UEA have also eased travel restrictions for Indians amid a decline in COVID-19 cases.