The Dutch ministry in charge of aviation said Sunday that flights from India would be banned until at least May 1 amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant, reported Sputnik. "A flight ban will take effect for passenger flights from India at 6 pm on Monday, April 26. The flight ban will be in place until at least 00.01 am on May 1," a statement read. Cargo flights and planes carrying medical personnel and equipment will be exempted. The flight ban comes on top of an entry ban for non-EU residents. The cabinet decided to double up on it for fear that the Netherlands could become a preferred port of entry for Indians going to the EU. India has this week reported its highest numbers of new daily cases and deaths since the pandemic began and is facing severe shortages of oxygen. The Dutch government said it would support India with emergency financing of 1 million euro (US$1.2 million).

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency is reporting the country’s civil aviation agency has banned all flights to and from India and Pakistan because of the dramatic surge in coronavirus cases in the two nations. IRNA says the decision was made by Iran’s Health Ministry and it takes effect Saturday at midnight. Also Read: Why India is shattering global infection records Mohammad Hassan Zibakhsh, spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization noted there are no routine flights between Iran and India and “flights are operated occasionally.” Several other countries in the region, including the sheikhdoms of the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait, also have banned flights to and from India over the rise in coronavirus cases there. Zibakhsh said flights to and from 41 countries already were prohibited in Iran, while those who want to fly to other countries listed as high risk are required to have a coronavirus test in Iran. Travelers over 8 years old need to submit a negative PCR test within 96 hours of departure and do another test on arrival. Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said 18,230 new confirmed cases over 24 hours, bringing Iran’s total on Saturday to more than 2,377,000. Also Read: India records world's highest single-day spike in Covid cases