India on Sunday temporarily suspended the online visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China due to the outbreak of a coronavirus infection that has so far killed more than 300 people amid more than 14,000 total reported cases.
“Due to certain current developments, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect,” the Indian Embassy tweeted. “This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People’s Republic of China.”
The embassy added that already issued e-visas are no longer valid. “All those who have a compelling reason to visit India may contact the Embassy of India in Beijing or the Indian consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou, and the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities,” it said.
The United States, Australia and Singapore have also denied entry to foreign nationals who have recently been in China.
Earlier in the day, the health ministry said a second person has tested positive for the coronavirus infection in India. This case, like the first one, was also reported in Kerala.
A second special Air India flight carrying 330 passengers – 323 Indians and seven Maldivians – from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, landed in Delhi on Sunday morning. The first flight, which evacuated 324 Indians, had landed in New Delhi on Saturday.
Several countries have put travel bans with airlines cancelling flights to and from China and mass evacuations of citizens amid fears of a major pandemic. National carrier, Air India, has cancelled its Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai flight until February 14.
The World Health Organization had on Thursday declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Also read: Will China’s move to seal a city of 11 million people work?
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