Bahrain Bans Flights from Bangladesh, Other S. Asian Nations

The Kingdom of Bahrain has decided to suspend entry of travellers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal from Monday, the country’s state-run news agency has reported.

The decision was taken after the respective countries were deemed to be on the kingdom’s ‘red list,’ Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported citing a circular issued by the country’s Civil Aviation Affairs authority on Sunday, reports media.

Travellers from the aforementioned countries will be barred from entering the kingdom.

Red list countries were modified based on an assessment made by the country’s National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (Covid-19).

“In line with Government Executive Committee directives and based on the recommendations of the National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (Covid-19), the Civil Aviation Affairs, today announced the suspension of entry for travellers arriving from red list countries, namely; India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, on all flights starting Monday, May 24, 2021,” the report said.

Meanwhile, Bahraini citizens and residency visa holders are not covered by the suspension, but will have to provide a PCR test before boarding a plane and quarantine for ten days upon arrival, the report added.

However, passengers arriving from the countries not included in the red list are exempted from quarantine and PCR tests if they are vaccinated and hold a Bahrain issued vaccination certificate or a certificate issued by a country whose vaccination certificate is approved by authorities in Bahrain.

Passengers with vaccination certificates issued by the United States of America, the United Kingdom, a member state of the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan or Singapore will also be exempted from quarantine rules.

Bahrain has recorded over 218,000 cases of coronavirus since the onset of the global pandemic, which has claimed the lives of 820 people across the kingdom.