Suspends e-visa facility temporarily for Chinese, foreigners residing in China
After reporting a second confirmed case of coronavirus from Kerala on Sunday, India escalated its security measures to deal with the deadly outbreak that has so far killed more than 305 people in China, infected over 14,000 others and spread to 25 countries. India temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China after evacuating 647 Indians and seven Maldivian citizens by special flights from coronavirus-hit Wuhan city.
The Government on Sunday issued a fresh travel advisory, urging everyone to refrain from travel to virus-hit China and that travellers on return could be quarantined. “Also, anyone with travel history of China since January 15, 2020 and from now on could be quarantined,” said the Government statement here.
According to the Central Government, the second patient has a travel history from virus-hit China and he has been isolated in a hospital.
Confirming the second case, Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said the condition of the student, currently admitted to the isolation ward at the Alapuzha Medical College Hospital, was “stable”.
Earlier in the day, the minister said in Kollam that the State was awaiting the results of tests conducted on the patient from the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.
“Now, we have got the test report of the patient. There is a positive case in Alapuzha,” she told reporters here on Sunday evening after chairing a high-level meeting with senior health department officials. The first patient, a woman medical student, is in an isolation ward at the Thrissur medical college hospital.
“We are trying to ensure that the virus does not spread. The two patients, who have tested positive for the virus, are stable. Their condition is not serious. But we are monitoring them closely,” she said.
Till date, 1,793 people who travelled from coronavirus-hit countries have been identified and placed under surveillance in Kerala. Of this, 70 people have been admitted in selected isolation facilities and 1,723 are under home isolation, a State medical bulletin said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Beijing said, “Due to certain current developments, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect. This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People’s Republic of China. Holders of already issued e-visas may note that these 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, as well as the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities,” it said.
An Air India’s jumbo B747 made two flights to Wuhan city and evacuated 647 persons over the last two days. “Periodic checkups are being done as per medical protocol. All tests are negative till now. Food, bed and other basic requirements are provided. Sufficient amount of medicines are also kept at the centre.
Isolation beds are also kept ready in case of any situation arises,” a statement issued by the authorities said about these quarantined persons.
As a preventive measure, Cabinet Secretary held a high level review meeting on the preparedness for coronavirus with secretaries of Health and Family Welfare, External Affairs, Home Affairs, Civil Aviation, Department of Health Research, and representatives from ITBP, AFMS and NDMA, here on Sunday.
Till Sunday, 58,658 passengers from 445 flights have been screened while a total of 142 symptomatic travellers have been picked up to be referred to the isolation facilities set up by the Government.
Meanwhile, in a fresh set of instructions, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that testing of only one swab sample is enough, as against the earlier two, in suspected coronavirus cases. The new WHO instructions aims to ensure faster testing of samples which will quicken the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.
A video shared by Government officials on Sunday showed a group of six students dancing and taking selfies and videos inside the Manesar facility.
“The students are happy as they have been evacuated. You can see them dancing and making videos even though they have their face masks on,” said an official.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a tweet on Sunday, “7 Maldivians brought back with 323 Indians from Wuhan on the second @airindiain flight today. #NeighbourhoodFirst at work again.”Five doctors from the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, who were onboard the first flight, were also present in the second flight, an Air India spokesperson said.
Out of the 324 people that were evacuated through first Air India flight, 56, 53 and 42 were from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively.