Coronavirus: India suspends visas of nationals from Italy, S Korea, Iran, Japan

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has suspended visas and e-visas granted on or before Tuesday to people travelling from Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan, effective immediately, following a surge in cases of COVID-19, commonly referred to as novel coronavirus, in these countries. “Those requiring to travel to India due to compelling reasons, may seek fresh visa from nearest Indian Embassy/Consulate," the government said in a fresh travel advisory. India had suspended grant of visas to Chinese nationals on 5 February following the outbreak in the country, and the new advisory reflects the rapid spread of cases in the four countries cited above. Since it was first reported in late December, the number of people infected has now topped 90,000 globally, and while more than 80,000 of these are in China, infections in other countries, especially Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan, have seen an alarming rise. South Korea now has 4,800 cases, the largest number outside of China, while in Italy there are over 2,000 who have tested positive for novel coronavirus. In Iran, the number has risen to 1,501 as of today from less than 1,000 on Monday, while there are 274 cases in Japan, according to information available on the John Hopkins University portal for the disease. There are more than 100 cases each in US, Singapore, Spain, Germany and France as well. On Monday, the Indian government confirmed two fresh cases of coronavirus, one in Delhi and another in Telangana. Six suspected cases have likely been detected in Agra who may have come in contact with the patient from Delhi. The government is awaiting test results from the National Institute of Virology in Pune, the health ministry said in an update on Tuesday. Source: Livemint