Myanmar Extends Travel Ban to Quell Virus Surge Ahead of Election

(Bloomberg) -- Myanmar extended a ban on foreign visitors and domestic travel by a month to contain a record surge in coronavirus infections just weeks before the nation holds a general election.

The temporary suspension of international flights and foreign travelers will last through Oct. 31, Myanmar’s Central Committee on Covid-19 Control led by Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said Thursday. The ban, first imposed from March end, was due to end on Sept. 30.

The country reported 1,052 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, the highest daily increase since it first detected the virus in March. The majority of new cases are from the Yangon Region, the nation’s commercial hub and home to its biggest city of the same name, which is currently under a lockdown.

The resurgence in infections has hampered campaigning for the Nov. 8 elections with about two dozen opposition political parties calling for the vote to be delayed. But the ruling National League for Democracy still favors going to vote on schedule, with Suu Kyi saying the outbreak can be contained with strict social distancing curbs.

While Myanmar managed to keep its infections low in the early phase of the outbreak, cases began to spike from late August. The nation of 54 million people has now reported more than 8,515 cases and 155 fatalities.

With the containment measures taking a toll on businesses, the Central Bank of Myanmar said on Thursday it would extend minimum reserve requirement relaxations for banks to March to lessen the impact of Covid-19 on lenders. The country has set aside 3 trillion kyat ($2.3 billion) for efforts to contain the outbreak and minimize its impacts.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.