Featured image: Passengers wear masks at NSCBI Airport in Kolkata, March 16, 2020. Photo: PTI/Ashok Bhaumik
New Delhi: With four more people testing positive for the coronavirus in the country, taking the tally to 114, the Centre on Monday said the entry of passengers from all member countries of the European Union, Turkey and the UK would be prohibited between March 18 and March 31.
The Union health ministry said that of the four new coronavirus cases reported, one each were from Odisha, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Kerala. The total number of coronavirus infections in India rose to 114 on Monday. These cases include 10 discharged, three cured and two reported deaths.
After a meeting og the Group of Ministers (GoM), the government has proposed social distancing measures to be in force until March 31, the ministry officials said at a press briefing.
“Travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and United Kingdom to India is prohibited with effect from 18th March 2020,” said Lav Aggarwal, the ministry’s joint secretary said.
Travel of passengers from member countries of the #EuropeanUnion, the #EuropeanFreeTradeAssociation, #Turkey and #UnitedKingdom to #India is prohibited with effect from 18th March 2020.
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) March 16, 2020
“No airline shall board a passenger from these nations to India with effect from 1200 GMT on 18th March 2020. The airline shall enforce this at the port of initial departure,” he said. This will mean that even Indian nationals in these locations will not be able to enter the country until the end of the month.
India has already placed restrictions on the entry of nationals from many European states, apart from Japan, South Korea, Iran and China.
Both these instructions are temporary measures and shall be in force until March 31, 2020 and will be reviewed subsequently, Aggarwal said.
The ministry has also traced people who came in contact with those who tested positive for the infection, and more than 5,200 contacts have been identified. These people are being kept under surveillance, the officials added.
(With PTI inputs)