Covid-19: Even Indians from EU, Turkey, UK barred entry

Wednesday 18th March 2020 05:44 EDT
 

In measures aimed at containing Covid-19, the government has extended the travel ban beyond affected countries and prohibited entry of all passengers, including Indian nationals, from the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the UK to India with effect from March 18. The government also expanded compulsory quarantine for minimum 14 days for passengers coming from or transiting through the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.

Till Tuesday, there are 142 confirmed positive cases of Covid-19. Of these, 13 cases are cured, whereas three patients with co-morbidities died. The total 142 positive cases include 125 Indians and 17 foreigners.

With reference to the EU, EFTA, Turkey and UK, the new travel advisory said, “No airline shall board passenger from these nations to India with effect from 1200 GMT on March 18. The airline shall enforce this at the port of initial departure.” The decision was taken after a high-level group of ministers (GoM) meeting on Monday.

Int’l travellers advised home quarantine

A senior airline official said, “At this moment, given the restrictions, the option for people to travel between India and Europe/UK/Turkey include flying first to the Far East, to Thailand (Thai), Singapore (Singapore Airlines), Malaysia (Malaysian) or to Bangladesh (Biman to London), Colombo (Sri Lankan to London). They can also use Gulf carriers and Aeroflot (taking connections from Moscow). Some of the options will mean quarantine on return.” The options for US are non-stops of Air India and United (will announce 50% truncated network soon). A senior AI official said the airline will suspend its UK flights from March 18.

Last week, the government suspended almost all visas and even passenger traffic on several border checkposts to protect further import of infected cases from abroad. The move came in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases globally and the World Health Organization declaring it a global pandemic.

International travellers with symptoms associated with Covid-19 who have so far entered India have also been advised home quarantine where they are monitored for more serious indications. Travellers from affected countries named by the government have to undergo quarantine at an official facility. Depending on norms and protocols, travellers are either quarantined at Army facilities or advised home isolation.

Besides travel-related instructions - which will be in force till March 31 and will be reviewed subsequently - the government also proposed ‘social distancing measures’ as a preventive strategy. This includes closure of all educational institutions, gyms, museums, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres. This is in the nature of advisories for states but intends to bring about uniformity in action and underline the need to curb large congregations.

The private sector has been encouraged to allow employees to work from home wherever feasible and meetings to be done through video-conferences to avoid people coming together unless necessary. Of the three deaths, one each occurred in Karnataka, Delhi and Maharashtra. The total number of confirmed cases are 142. The Railway Ministry has empowered its zonal units to suspend trains with low occupancy and on not-so-important routes.

In its latest travel advisory, the government said: “Expanding compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days for passengers coming from/ transiting through UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 18th March 2020 at the port of first departure.” Until now, quarantine was mandatory only for passengers from China, Italy, Iran, Korea, France, Spain and Germany.

“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. 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,” it said. While some states have already implemented some of these measures, more states followed on Monday.

“Social distancing is a non-pharmaceutical infection prevention and control intervention implemented to avoid/decrease contact between those who are infected with a disease causing pathogen and those who are not, so as to stop or slow down the rate and extent of disease transmission in a community. This eventually leads to decrease in spread, morbidity and mortality due to the disease,” it said.

The ministry said online education should be promoted, and asked local authorities to prevent mass gatherings. The number of testing laboratories has been increased to 62. Meanwhile, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, Lav Agarwal denied reports about missing patients in Punjab. The government had earlier suspended all visas, barring select categories, till April 15. The new travel advisory effectively means that even Indians who are currently in these countries may find it difficult to return home.

Indian carriers flying to these countries are expected to cancel their flights, as they will have to return empty. Industry officials are of the view that home carriers of these countries may continue to operate flights on their India sectors in order to ferry their citizens back. Last year, almost 3 million passengers arrived in India from Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and Turkey, according to official data.


comments powered by Disqus



to the free, weekly Asian Voice email newsletter