The UAE has banned flights to India starting from 24 April 2021 amid a surge in coronavirus cases, according to an official document.
With India buckling under a deadly second wave of the coronavirus crisis and hospitals in the country running out of beds and oxygen supplies, countries across the world have announced travel bans and restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
India is recording more than 2,000 Covid deaths everyday for the last couple of days and almost 300,000 new cases, among the world’s biggest daily totals since the pandemic began, official data showed.
In an address to the nation on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country of 1.3 billion people was “once again fighting a big fight”. In the wake of the ongoing Covid situation, world leaders have also had to reconsider their trips to the country. UK premier Boris Johnson cancelled his visit for the second time on Monday, while Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced he was postponing his trip originally set for the end of April.
As per the official document received, Effective April 24 SAT, 2359LT Dubai, and for the next 10days subject to further review, Carriage Of Passengers from India will be Suspended and **Note also that passengers who have transited through India in the last 14 days are not permitted to board from any other point to the UAE **
The travel ban will come into effect from 11.59 pm on Saturday, April 24, and is subject to review after 10 days. Passengers who have transited through India in the last 14 days are also not permitted to board from any other point to the UAE, the report said. However, departure flights will continue to operate
UAE citizens, diplomatic passport holders and official delegations are exempted from the above conditions, it said.
The UAE is the latest country to impose a travel ban on passengers from India after it recorded the world’s highest daily tally of 314,835 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday.