WASHINGTON DC (Diya TV) — With the Coronavirus officially declared a Worldwide pandemic, the Indian Government is taking steps to quarantine Covid-19 by implementing a month long travel ban to the country.
Effective starting March 13th, India will suspend all existing visas (excluding diplomatic, official, UN/International Organization, employment, and project Visas) until April 15th; Visa free travel granted to OCI card holders will likewise be postponed until the same date.
Foreign nationals seeking to travel to the country during this suspension are being asked to contact their nearest Indian Mission/Consulate with relevant and compelling reasons to justify breaking the quarantine.
In addition to this, India will require all incoming travelers, including Indian nationals, that have visited China, Italy, Iran, the Republic of Korea, France, Spain, or Germany after February 15th 2020 to be subject to mandatory medical screenings and quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.
Alongside these hefty air travel ban policies, checkpoints have been erected alongside India’s borders to implement robust screening facilities.
Ravi Kapur contributed to this report.