Dubai: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately withdraw the circular that makes it mandatory for people travelling from Italy to India to obtain a certificate of having tested negative for Covid-19.
He said many Indians were stranded at airports in Italy as they were not able to board flights to cities in India without this certificate.
“We are receiving information that many Indians are stranded in airports in Italy as they are not able to board flights to cities in India without this certificate. The certificates have been made mandatory irrespective of whether these travellers have symptoms or not. It has been brought to notice that foreign authorities are not ready to test people without symptoms as they are already overloaded with patients,” Vijayan wrote in his letter to Modi.
Travel advisory
On March 5, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had issued a travel advisory asking those arriving in the country from coronavirus-affected Italy and South Korea to procure a certificate showing them having tested negative for the deadly virus. The advisory came into force on March 10 and is a temporary measure till cases of Covid-19 subside, said the government in a statement.
Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan city of China, has now spread to more than 118 countries and has killed over 4,250 people out of 117,000 cases worldwide. Countries like South Korea and Italy have recorded the most number of cases of the deadly virus besides China.
“Indians abroad wanting to return home are put to undue hardship by the circular mentioned above. While there is no difference of opinion that enough safeguards should be taken so that the disease does not spread, undue hardship to Indians abroad wanting to come home in an hour of crisis is totally unwarranted. They can be tested on arrival and kept in quarantine if necessary. There are necessary facilities in our country,” read his letter.
Self-monitoring of health
The Union Cabinet Secretary on Tuesday held a high-level meeting with the secretaries of the concerned ministries and departments to review the status, preparedness and management of coronavirus cases in the country.
The government has issued an advisory for all incoming international passengers returning to India to self-monitor their health.
“The passengers with travel history to China, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Japan, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, Iran, Malaysia, France, Spain and Germany to undergo self-imposed quarantine for a period of 14 days from the date of their arrival, and their employers should facilitate work-from-home for such employees during this period,” said the advisory.
Since more than 100 countries across the world now have reported positive Covid-19 cases, travellers to these countries might possibly have come in contact with people infected by Covid-19 during their stay there, or even while in transit at airports, the government advisory said.
Visas suspended
The government has also suspended visas given to foreigners from certain nations. “All regular visas (including e-visas) which have been granted to nationals of France, Germany and Spain on or before 11.03.2020 and where these foreigners have not yet entered India stands suspended,” the statement said.
“Regular visas (including e-visas) granted to all foreign nationals who have travel history to these countries on or after 1.2.2020 and who have not yet entered India also stands suspended.
“Visas of all foreigners already in India remain valid and they may contact the nearest FRRO/FRO through e-FRRO module for extension/conversion etc of their visa or grant of any consular service, if they choose to do so. A notification to this effect is being issued by the Bureau of Immigration (BOI),” the statement said.
The government has advised Indian citizens to refrain from travelling to France, Spain and Germany.
Over 50 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the country till now. On Tuesday, 8 positive cases were reported from Kerala, 5 from Pune and one from Bengaluru.
- with inputs from agencies