Govt suspends all visas granted to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea & Japan

New Delhi: Government has suspended all regular visa and e-visa granted to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan with immediate effect. In a revised travel advisory, Health Ministry said that those requiring to travel to India due to compelling reasons may seek fresh visa from the nearest Indian Embassy or Consulate.

Government has put export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients and medicines, including paracetamol, vitamin B1 and B12, amid the coronavirus outbreak in China. With this, export of these Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, APIs and formulations require licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, DGFT. 

Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked all private satellite News TV and FM Radio Channels to give adequate publicity to the revised travel advisory issued by the Health Ministry in the wake of novel coronavirus. In its advisory, the Ministry said,  the channels can also run tickers on novel coronavirus. It said Electronic media has always been at the forefront to carry such message as it is a powerful tool to reach out to the people in the country.

Over ten lakh 24 thousand people have been screened as of now at the Nepal border in light of the Novel Corona virus outbreak. More than 3,695 Gram Sabha meetings have been conducted in 21 bordering districts in five states of Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim.

More than five lakh



passengers have been screened at different airports. Passengers are further monitored under community surveillance through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, IDSP network on a daily basis. In all, 25 thousand 738 passengers are under community surveillance of the IDSP network. Briefing media in New Delhi, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, 15 labs are functional and 19 more will be made operational soon. He asserted that the Government is prepared to tackle any situation arising out of COVID-19 and that the issue is being constantly monitored by the concerned Group of Ministers.

As three fresh cases of coronavirus surfaced in the country since yesterday, DGCA has asked all airlines to ensure that every aircraft from South Korea, Japan and Italy are subjected to the disinfection process before boarding begins for the next flight.

DGCA has also asked airlines and airports to take specific measures including the availability of surgical masks and gloves for crew members and passengers. It has also directed that multiple hand sanitizing points may be set up at the terminals.

Indo Tibetan Border Police, ITBP has said that no fresh symptoms of Corona Virus are seen among the 112 Wuhan evacuees till now. All 112 evacuees taken from Wuhan, China housed at ITBP Chhawla Quarantine Facility, New Delhi were found negative in Corona Virus at the first test of samples on Sunday.