Amidst the global outbreak of COVID-19, one of the most affected industries is the travel industry. Various airports across the globe have resorted to a variety of measures to mitigate the effect of the virus. Travellers coming to India will now have to face an additional set of restrictions until the outbreak is under control. India has imposed additional visa restrictions on people travelling from or those who have recently visited Italy and South Korea. It will now be mandatory for such travellers to submit a certificate that says they have tested negative for COVID-19 from laboratories authorised by the respective countries.
The announcement was made by the Union Health Ministry and is set to come into effect from March 10.
According to latest reports, India has 50 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country. The first case was confirmed in Wuhan, China, last year and since then the virus has affected 105 countries across the globe.
The Indian government has already suspended all regular visas and e-visas granted on or before March 3 to Italian, Iranian, South Korean and Japanese nationals. These visa suspensions are of the nationals who haven&rsquot yet entered India due to the global outbreak.
According to media reports, the advisory has stated that the government has also suspended visa on arrival (VoA) issued on or before March 3 to Japanese and South Korean nationals who have not yet entered India.
However,  according to the advisory, if someone has to travel to India due to compelling reasons, they can apply for fresh visas at the nearest embassy/consulate.