WHO declares coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic, India suspends all non-official visas till April 15
In an unprecedented lockdown for Covid-19, India on Wednesday notified cancellation of all non-official visas to curb incoming traffic and advised against all non-essential travel abroad which also curbs outgoing travel.
By : migrator
Update: 2020-03-11 21:48 GMT
New Delhi
The Bureau of Immigration under the Home Ministry notified the new norms hours after a high powered Group of Ministers finalised sweeping travel restrictions in the wake of growing cases of Covid-19.
The wide ranging lockdown which seeks to control entry and exit of people in the country is an unprecedented step which suggests that drastic measures are being deployed amid a possible escalation in the spread of Covid-19 cases across many states.
Most of the cases being found bear the footprint of a travel history abroad to countries affected by Covid-19.
The restrictions come on a day when the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared coronavirus as a pandemic. It has already spread to over a 100 countries, many of which are seeing travel restrictions. Italy, for instance is under complete lockdown.
The new norms for travel will have serious repercussions for the economy, aviation, travel, hospitality, consumer sentiment, exports and services sectors among other sectors and business is likely to take a back seat as precautions take centre-stage.
In another drastic measure, the Indian government has decided that all states should be advised to invoke provisions of Section 2 of Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 which was enacted in the British era to enforce all advisories.
All States/UTs should be advised by Union Health Ministry to invoke provisions of Section 2 of Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 so that all advisories being issued from time to time by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare/State/UTs are enforceable.
Section 2 of the 1897 Act gives the power to take special measures and prescribe regulations as to dangerous epidemic disease.
- An official statement said all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment, and project visas stand suspended till April 15. This will come into effect from 12 am GMT on March 13 at the port of departure.
- The visa-free travel facility granted to OCI card holders has also been kept in abeyance till April 15. Any foreign national who intends to travel to India for a compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian mission. This would essentially curb the inflow of foreign nationals into the country with visa controls.
- All incoming travellers, including Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany after February 15 will be quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days. All these measures are applicable from March 13.
- Incoming travellers, including Indian nationals, are advised to avoid non-essential travel and have been informed that they can be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days on their arrival in India.
- International traffic through land borders will be restricted to designated check posts with robust screening facilities. These will be notified separately by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- A provision has been made for testing primarily for students/compassionate cases in Italy and collection for samples to be organised accordingly. Those tested negative will be allowed to travel and will be quarantined on arrival in India for 14 days.
The second meeting of the group of ministers was attended among others by ministers Hardeep S Puri (Civil Aviation), S Jaishankar (External Affairs), Nityananda Rai (MoS Home), Mansukh Mandaviya (MoS Shipping) and Ashwini Kumar Choubey (MoS Health).
The GOM discussed the recommendations made by the Committee of Secretaries chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and took the latest decisions, the release added.
The coronavirus, which emerged in China in December, has spread around the world, halting industry, bringing flights to a standstill, closing schools and forcing the postponement of sporting events and concerts.
The WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern, its “highest level of alarm”, on Jan. 30 when there were fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19 outside China and eight cases of human-to-human transmission of the disease.
Now there are more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 people have died, Tedros said, with the numbers expected to climb.
The WHO no longer has a category for declaring a pandemic, except for influenza.
WHO officials have signalled for weeks that they may use the word “pandemic” as an descriptive term but stressed that it does not carry legal significance. The novel coronavirus is not the flu.
Under its previous system, the Geneva-based agency declared the 2009 H1N1 swine flu outbreak a pandemic. It turned out to be mild, leading to some criticism after pharmaceutical companies rushed development of vaccines and drugs.
(With inputs from Reuters, IANS)
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