ugc_banner

Coronavirus outbreak: India cancels valid e-visas for travellers from China

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Feb 04, 2020, 06:17 PM IST
main img
Photograph:(AFP)

Story highlights

E-visa facility for Chinese passport holders has been temporarily suspended. E-visa which has already been issued to Chinese nationals has been temporarily made invalid.

The Government of India has cancelled all the valid visas issued to the Chinese nationals after India confirmed the third case of the deadly coronavirus.

All foreigners who visited China in the last two weeks are not allowed to enter India temporarily.

This comes after prime minister Narendra Modi has put together a group of ministers to review the country's preparedness to fight the virus.

Principal secretary to the prime minister reviewed the situation and the arrangements which have been made for the approximately 600 evacuees from Wuhan.

The group of ministers comprises of union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri, external affairs minister S Jaishankar among others. 

India has also revised its travel advisory, urging people to refrain from travelling to China. Anyone with a travel history to China after January 15th of this year could be quarantined.

E-visa facility for Chinese passport holders has been temporarily suspended. E-visa which has already been issued to Chinese nationals has been temporarily made invalid.

The facility for submitting the online application for a physical visa from china has been suspended. People with compelling reasons to visit India are advised to contact the Indian embassy in Beijing. 

Instructions to comply with new travel advisory have been issued to all national and international airlines operating from China.

645 persons who have been evacuated from Wuhan are now in two quarantine centres. The centres are being maintained by armed forces and Indo-Tibetan border police.

All evacuees are being medically examined on a daily basis. A total of 593 flights have been screened. So far, 72-thousand-three-hundred-fifty-three passengers have been screened. 

Screening is an ongoing process being carried out at 21 airports, international seaports and borders. Universal screening in all flights from Singapore, Thailand, hong kong and china is being done. 

2815 people are under community surveillance in all states and Union Territories.