Coronavirus: Travel advisory urges everyone to refrain from travel to China

Cabinet Secretary held a high-level review meeting on the preparedness for Novel Coronavirus with Secretaries of Health and Family Welfare, External Affairs, Home Affairs, Civil Aviation, Dept of Health Research, and representatives from ITBP, AFMS and NDMA, here today. Cabinet Secretary has held six review meetings so far, a government release said.

A new Travel Advisory has been issued urging everyone to refrain from travel to China. The travelers on return could be quarantined, it said. Also, anyone with travel history of China since 15th Jan 2020 and from now on could be quarantined the release further said.

"As of today, 58,658 passengers from 445 flights have been screened. A total of 142 symptomatic travelers picked up by the IDSP [Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme] have been referred to the isolation facilities. 130 samples have been tested of which 128 have been found to be negative. The two positive cases found in Kerala are being monitored and are clinically stable," the release said.

The second batch of 330 passengers (including 7 Maldivan citizens) from Wuhan has arrived in India. Of these, 300 (including 7 Maldivan citizens)  are housed at ITBP Chawla Camp and 30 are in Manesar. They are being effectively monitored, it further said.

Meanwhile,  a third positive case of Novel Coronavirus patient has been reported in Kerala, another release said. The patient has travel history from Wuhan in China, it said adding that the patient has tested positive for Novel Coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital. "The patient is stable and is being closely monitored," it further said.

The government also issued a revised health advisory today. The advisory says that the e-Visa facility for Chinese passport holders has been temporarily suspended. e-Visa already issued to Chinese nationals is not valid temporarily, a third release said. 

The facility for submitting the application online for the physical visa from China is suspended. People having compelling reasons to visit India asked to contact the India embassy in Beijing or consulate in Shanghai or Guangzhou, the release said.

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The health advisory has asked people to refrain from travel to China and that anyone with travel history in China since 15th January 2020 and from now on could be quarantined.