Coronavirus travel ban: India on lockdown till April 15

• India has suspended all tourist, medical visas till April 15.
  
• The suspension will come into effect starting March 13.
  
• Indian nationals, at home and abroad, have been advised to avoid all travel since they could be quarantined for 14 days on entering the country.
  

The coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), late yesterday evening, March 11. After the announcement, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a revised travel advisory that will put India under lockdown starting March 13 at 12:00pm GMT (5:30pm IST).

Any travel plans up to April 15 will have to be put on hold as India suspends all movement along its borders.


However, it may not be the ideal solution. “Travel restrictions can cause more harm than good by hindering info-sharing, medical supply chains and harming economies,” said director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in February.

Here’s everything you need to know as India puts itself under quarantine to keep the coronavirus from entering the country:

• All visas — except diplomatic, official, issued by international organisations, employment, project visas — are suspended till 15 April 2020.

• Visa-free travel facility for Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders has also been suspended till 15 April 2020.

• All incoming travellers from China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany after 15 February 2020 will be quarantined for at least 14 days.

• Provision will be made to test students coming in from Italy. Those tested negative will be allowed to come back to India. However, they will also be quarantined for 14 days.

• Incoming travellers, including Indian nationals, are advised to avoid all non-essential travel.

• Indian nationals are also advised to avoid all non-essential travel abroad.

• International traffic through land borders will be restricted to designated checkpoints equipped with screening facilities.
  

The global death toll of the coronavirus has surged to over 4,000 and the outbreak has spread to over 100 countries. In India, there are 62 reported cases of Covid-19 so far with 17 in Kerala and nine in UP.

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