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The Coronavirus COVID-19 has reached India and new cases are being reported with each passing day. Overnight reports of passengers returning from foreign travel as well as foreign nationals testing positive for the virus are plaguing the headlines. With this in mind, the Government of India has issued a ban on travel visas to the country, including visa-free travel for OCI cardholders imposing a self- quarantine from March 13 to April 15. There are designated screening check-points at land borders.
The people who have travelled to countries like China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain, and Germany after February 15 have to be quarantined for a minimum of 15 days. All non-essential travel abroad is being curbed, with an exception to UN Diplomats and official employment visa holders.
Additionally, travellers arriving from 15 countries including China, South Korea and the US have been barred from entering the Duty-Free shopping area at the Delhi Airport which will seemingly contain the pandemic. The Government has screened almost 10.5 lakh people at 30 airports across India.
The decision came into effect as the World Health Organisation announced on March 11 that the COVID-19 outbreak is categorised as a “global pandemic”. The WHO said that the number of cases is rising at an alarming rate and that stringent action needs to be taken by every country.
What to do if you’ve just returned from travel abroad? The government has advised travellers to quarantine themselves for a period of 14 days after landing in the country.
Declare your travel history with accurate details to the Customs Officials to allow them to carry out proper procedures of containment. If the virus goes undetected at the check-points, it is likely to spread to the rest of the population.
Major Testing Sites: There are 52 testing sites across India. Some states have multiple testing facilities, whereas some are equipped with just the one. With a shortage of beds and testing equipment, it is important to check for symptoms accurately before heading to these centers.
Keep a live track of the latest developments on the COVID-19 here.
Feature Image Credit: Wikipedia
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