14-day mandatory quarantine in India for passengers from UAE and other Gulf countries
Move announced as part of new preventive measures against coronavirus
Dubai: India will quarantine all passengers travelling from or transitting through four GCC countries from Wednesday.
“Expanding compulsory quarantine for a minimum period of 14 days for passengers coming from/transiting through #UAE, #Qatar, #Oman, and #Kuwait. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 18th March 2020 at the port of first departure,” the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare tweeted on Monday evening.
A series of other preventive measures were also announced at a press conference.
India has also prohibited travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Turkey and UK from Wednesday.
“Travel of passengers from member countries of the #EuropeanUnion, the #EuropeanFreeTradeAssociation, #Turkey and #UnitedKingdom to #India is prohibited with effect from March 18, 2020,” the ministry tweeted.
No airline shall board a passenger from these nations to India with effect from 1200 GMT on March 18, 2020.
The airlines shall enforce this at the port of initial departure, the government announced.
“Both these instructions are temporary measures and shall be in force till March 31, 2020 and will be reviewed subsequently,” it added.
The Indian government said travel restrictions have been further tightened to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from high-risk areas, along with comprehensive measures on social distancing to prevent local transmissions.
The ministry issued the new travel advisory after a high-level meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 was held under the chairpersonship of Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.