The Indian government has moved to drastically limit the number of people it allows to enter the country, suspending visas for visitors from all other countries for at least a month in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The measure, one of the most far-reaching responses yet to the Covid-19 outbreak by any government, effectively bans all tourism to India until at least 15 April. It will be enforced from Friday (13 March 2020) onwards.
The announcement came as the number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 72 on Thursday, and amid mounting concerns that the country’s beleaguered health system and densely populated cities would make it extremely difficult to contain a fully fledged outbreak.
Announcing the move, the health ministry said that “all Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel abroad”, warning they could be subject to a 14-day quarantine upon their return. “Indian nationals presently abroad are advised to avoid non-essential travel,” the notice added.
In the southern state of Karnataka, officials invoked 123-year-old legislation to announce that any person who refuses hospital treatment or violates their quarantine will be prosecuted.
The health ministry said the travel ban has some exceptions: those with diplomatic and long-term employment visas for India will still be allowed into the country, and foreigners already inside the country will mostly be unaffected.The warning over the provision under the 1897 Epidemic Diseases Act, which was brought in by the occupying British administration to tackle the plague, came after a passenger who presented with a fever after arriving in the state from Dubai ran away from a government hospital.
However, tourists who have already had visas issued for upcoming travel to India should consider them suspended, and foreigners of Indian origin – who would normally enjoy visa-free travel under the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) scheme – will also be barred entry. - independent.co.uk
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