Coronavirus: Government asks Indians to refrain from travelling to China, Italy, 6 other countries

With the COVID-19 count in India touching 60, the Centre has asked citizens to avoid all non-essential foreign trips and completely refrain from visiting eight countries worst affected by the virus including Italy, France, Spain and Germany.

The four European nations are popular tourist destinations during the summer holidays.

“Indian citizens are strongly advised to refrain from travelling to China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan, France, Spain and Germany. Also, citizens are advised to avoid non- essential travel abroad,” said the Union Health Ministry in a travel advisory.

On the cusp of being declared a pandemic by the WHO, the massive outbreak entered 109 countries, so far infecting more than 1,13,000 and killing 4,000 plus till March 10.

The government has also issued a standard operating procedure to handle COVID-19 cases in cruise liners when they arrive in Indian ports. Only those ships that informed an Indian port not later than January 1, 2020, will be allowed to make a call on the port.

An international cruise ship or any member of the crew or passenger with a travel history to any of the COVID-19 affected countries since February 1, 2020, would not be allowed to enter an Indian port till March 31, 2020.

Port authorities have been instructed to carry out a strict health check-up of the passengers and crew.

Meanwhile, 119 Indians, who were stuck in the COVID-19 affected cruise liner Diamond Princess, are ready to go home after completing two weeks of quarantine. They were brought back on February 27 and sent to the Army camp at Manesar.

“The group has completed their two weeks on Wednesday and would be allowed to leave once the final test results come (expected on Thursday). They will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation sent to the district and state surveillance units,” Army sources said.

As one group is set to leave, a fresh batch of 83 individuals, who arrived from Italy, entered the camp. The group includes 74 Indians and 9 foreigners of Indian origin. They returned in a commercial flight from one of the worst-affected countries outside China.

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“The situation in Italy is now emerging as a cause of great concern. Steps in this regard have already been initiated. The challenge is growing by the day in Europe and we will respond accordingly,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Parliament.

The Health Ministry on Wednesday said that there were 60 positive cases of COVID-19 in the country, of which ten new cases have been reported since the last update issued on Tuesday. Among them, eight are from Kerala, one from Rajasthan and one from Delhi.