Canada has extended its ban on passenger flights from India and Pakistan by one month to June 21 as part of a campaign to fight Covid-19, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Friday.

"These ongoing measures will remain in place to help protect Canadians and to manage the elevated risk of imported cases of Covid-19 and variants of concern," he said. As vaccinations pick up across Canada, the number of daily new cases has dropped by 25 per cent since last week, and it now averages around 5,000, deputy chief public health officer Howard Njoo told the briefing.

Cargo flights, however, will be permitted to maintain shipments of essential supplies, such as vaccines and personal protective equipment, it said on Friday. 'The Minister of Transport believes that it is necessary for aviation safety and the protection of the public,' according to a notice to airmen.

As the ban applies to direct flights from both countries, passengers can still fly to Canada from India or Pakistan by arriving via a third country. They will need to produce a negative result on a COVID-19 test taken at their last point of departure before being allowed to enter Canada, according to the report.

The daily rise in coronavirus cases in India remained below 300,000 for the fifth consecutive day with 2,57,299 new cases recorded in a single day, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

UN chief Guterres urges G20 countries to lead pandemic ending effort

Joe Biden Appoints Sung Kim to Serve As Special Envoy To North Korea

Pakistan-China relations growing day by day: PM Imran Khan