New Delhi (NVI): Anyone with travel history in China since January 15 could be quarantined, the government said today in its revised travel advisory to the coronavirus-hit country. The government has also maintained its appeal to the Indian citizens to refrain from travelling to China.
“As already communicated yesterday, Travel Advisory further revised informing the public to refrain from travel to China and that anyone with travel history in China since 15th January 2020 and from now on could be quarantined,” the Ministry of Health said in a statement today.
The decision was taken by the cabinet secretary in another high-level review meeting on the preparedness for novel coronavirus in the country. The Cabinet Secretary has held six review meetings so far.
In another development today, the Indian Embassy in Beijing said that due to the prevailing situation of coronavirus outbreak, travel to India on E-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect. “This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People’s Republic of China,” the embassy tweeted.
Yesterday, the embassy had said that already issued E-visas will no longer be valid. “Holders of already issued E-visas may note that these are no longer valid. All those who have a compelling reason to visit India may contact the Embassy of India in Beijing or the Indian consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou, and the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities,” it said in a tweet.
As on February 2 (Sunday), 58,658 passengers from 445 flights have been screened at several airports in the country. A total of 142 symptomatic travellers picked up by the
Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) have been referred to the isolation facilities.
As many as 130 samples have been tested of which 128 have been found to be negative. The two positive cases found in Kerala are being monitored and are clinically stable.
The second batch of 330 passengers (including 7 Maldivan citizens) from Wuhan arrived in India yesterday. Of these, 300 (including 7 Maldivan citizens) are housed at ITBP Chawla Camp and 30 are in Manesar. They are also being effectively monitored.
