YANGON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- A total of 663 hotels, about one-third of the hotels in Myanmar, reopened across regions and states so far after temporary suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an official from the Hotels and Tourism Ministry told Xinhua late Thursday.

"There are 2,053 hotels operating in the country and one-third of them have reopened after getting health and safety inspection passes by the authorities concerned as of May 29," said Deputy Director General U Aung Aye Han of the ministry.

As of May 29, Yangon region topped the list with 284 re-operating hotels, followed by Shan state with 94 hotels while hotels in Mandalay region, Chin and Kachin states have not been reopened.

Putting health in first place, the ministry has been exerting efforts for tourism development and for the convenience of the travellers in the country, the official said.

Meanwhile, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourist arrivals in Myanmar had dropped by 45 percent in the first four months of this year, compared to the corresponding period of last year, U Hlaing Oo, deputy permanent secretary of the ministry told Xinhua recently.

As part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Foreign Affairs Ministry also extended temporary entry restrictions for travellers from all countries until June 15.