In the wake of the massive outbreak of coronavirus, the government of India is taking major precautionary steps. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday has issued a revised travel advisory for immediate implementation. The e-Visas to 4 countries have also been cancelled.
#Breaking | Govt of India issues fresh travel advisory amid the outbreak of coronavirus. The e-Visas to 4 countries have been canceled.
Details by TIMES NOW’s Megha Prasad. pic.twitter.com/BvdykN4jbz
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 3, 2020
Advising Indian citizens to refrain from travelling to China, Iran, Republic of Korea, Italy and advised avoiding non-essential travel to other COVID-19 affected countries, the government has also said that anyone who has travelled back to India from China since January 15 will be quarantined.
Fresh travel advisory related to coronavirus (Covid-19):
In view of the emerging global scenario regarding Covid-19, in supersession of the earlier advisory, the following advisories have been issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on March 3, 2020. It reads:
- All regular (stickers) visas and e-visa (including VoA for Japan and South Korea) granted to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan and issued on or before 3rd March 2020 and who have not yet entered India, stand suspended with immediate effect. Those requiring to travel to India due to compelling reasons may seek fresh visas from nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate.
- Regular (stickers) visa and e-visa granted to nationals of Peoples Republic of China, issued on or before 5th February 2020 which were suspended earlier shall remain in force. Those needing to travel to India under compelling circumstances may apply for fresh visas to nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate.
- Regular (stickers) visas and e-visas granted to all foreign nationals who have travelled to Peoples Republic of China, Iran, Italy, South Korea and Japan on or after 1st February 2020, and who have not yet entered India stands suspended with immediate effect.
- Diplomats, officials of UN and other international bodies, OCI cardholders and Aircrew from the above countries are exempted from such restriction on entry. However, their medical screening is compulsory.
- Passengers of all international flights entering into India from any port are required to furnish duly filled self-declaration form (including personal particulars i.e. phone no. and address in India) and travel history, to Health Officials and Immigration officials at all ports.
- Passengers (foreign and Indian) other than those restricted, arriving directly or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan must undergo medical screening at the port of entry.
The Indian government has also issued a 24-hour helpline (91-11-23978046) for any query on coronavirus.
In addition, after a Delhi resident who had returned from Italy was tested positive, Air India has today asked all the passengers who had flown in on the Air India’s Vienna-Delhi flight on 25 Feb to follow the MOH protocol. A school in Noida was shut down and some 40 children were isolated after it was found that the infected person had attended a party where some of the schoolchildren were present too.
#FlyAI : This is for the attention of passengers who flew on AI154 Vienna-Delhi of 25th Feb’ 20. One of the passengers has tested positive for #coronavirus. Please follow the protocol notified by the Ministry of Health regarding Corona Virus. Kindly visit https://t.co/YR6yHUi4Or.
— Air India (@airindiain) March 3, 2020
Indigo airlines have stated that the patient in Telangana had travelled in a Dubai-Bangalore flight. It has kept the cabin crew under home observation and is following ministry protocols as per further steps.
Delhi’s Hyatt Regency has also asked its employees who had come in contact with the infected person to self-quarantine themselves for 14 days.
After the second Air India flight returned to India the total number of people evacuated from China has reached to 654, Indian officials said.
Yesterday, the union health ministry had announced that there have been two new positive cases of coronavirus with one of them being from Delhi and the other from Telangana.
Coronavirus has infected more than 89,000 people globally and caused over 3,000 deaths. The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19, referring to its origin late last year and the coronavirus that causes it.
