India Imposes Further Restrictions On Visas As Coronavirus Cases Climb
All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, project visas r employment visas have been suspended till April 15.
India suspended all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, United Nations or international organisations, employment, project visas, till April 15 as new cases continued to emerge in the country.
This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020 at the port of departure, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a media statement. The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting of the group of ministers led by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
Other decisions include:
- Visa-free travel facility granted to overseas citizens of India suspended till April 15.
- Any foreign national intending to travel to India will have to contact the nearest Indian Mission.
- All incoming travellers having visited China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany after Feb. 15 shall be quarantined for at least 14 days.
- International traffic through land borders will be restricted to designated check posts with screening facilities.
Earlier in the day, India prohibited entry of any international cruise ship, crew or passenger with a travel history to coronavirus-hit countries after Feb. 1, 2020 to its major ports till March 31.
The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in India climbed to 60, Sanjeeva Kumar, the special secretary in the central health ministry told reporters earlier in the day. After that, two new cases were confirmed in Mumbai, according to state health officials.