OREANDA-NEWS Canada is suspending flights from Pakistan and India for a 30-day period amid rising coronavirus cases in those countries and the emergence of a new strain in India. This information is reported by Radio-Canada.

As an increasing number of travelers from both countries arrive in Canada with COVID-19, all commercial and private passenger flights from these countries have been banned from 23:30 Thursday, the radio notes, citing Transport Canada.

The ban will not apply to major cargo flights.

Canada currently requires all arrivals to undergo COVID-19 testing and quarantine within 10 days of entering the country. According to Health Canada, 50% of all positive COVID-19 tests are found in travelers from India.

India surpassed the record for the number of new COVID-19 cases in a day on Thursday, when 314,000 new cases of the virus were reported.