Coronavirus: India suspends e-visa facility for the Chinese, foreigners in China

The Indian Embassy said that the e-visas that people currently hold are also no longer valid.
Coronavirus: India suspends e-visa facility for the Chinese, foreigners in China
Coronavirus: India suspends e-visa facility for the Chinese, foreigners in China
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India on Sunday temporarily suspended e-visa facility for Chinese travellers and foreigners residing in China in view of the virulent Coronavirus that has killed more than 300 people, infected 14,562 others and spread to 25 countries, including India, the US and the UK.

“Due to certain current developments, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect," the Indian Embassy announced here.

This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People's Republic of China. 

The government said, "Holders of already issued e-visas may note that these are no longer valid.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, and the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities."

On Sunday, India airlifted a second batch of 323 stranded Indians and seven Maldivian citizens from Coronavirus-hit Wuhan city, taking the total number of people evacuated to 654.

Air India's jumbo B747 made two flights to Wuhan city - the ground zero of the Coronavirus epidemic. In the first flight on early Saturday, 324 Indians were evacuated and on Sunday another 323 Indians and seven Maldivian citizens were flown back.

Over 300 people have died and 14,000 people have been infected in Wuhan by the virus so far.

The US, Australia and many other countries have evacuated their own respective citizens and already banned the arrival of foreigners from China. WHO has called the outbreak a global health emergency.

In the first flight on early Saturday, 324 Indians were evacuated and were admitted to the two quarantine facilities set up by the Army and the ITBP, though none of them have tested positive for Coronavirus, according to officials.

Two Indians, both from Kerala, have been tested positive for Coronavirus.

Due to the outbreak, IndiGo has suspended all three flights between India and China. Air India has suspended its Delhi-Shanghai flight and curtailed the flight operations on the Delhi-Hong Kong route.

With inputs from agencies

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