Myanmar's Yangon int'l airport reopens after 2-year suspension

Myanmar reopened the Yangon International Airport on Sunday, more than two years after the country suspended all commercial flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

An airport official told Xinhua that a flight of Singapore Airlines that arrived at around 9 a.m. (0230 GMT) on Sunday was the first flight touching down at the airport after reopening.

The Southeast Asian country suspended the operation of commercial flights in March 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to contain the virus.

The inbound passengers need to present proof of vaccination with a Ministry of Health-approved vaccine and a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report, as part of the health protocol against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, all foreign travelers shall submit the COVID-19 medical insurance purchased from Myanmar Insurance.

All incoming travelers shall also wait at designated hotels for the RT-PCR test result that is to be sent by the Health Ministry in about 24 hours.

Myanmar confirmed 18 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 612,545. The total death toll from COVID-19 in the country was 19,434.

Over 22.23 million people in Myanmar have been fully vaccinated as of April 9, official data showed. ■