The Government of India has suspended all visas to India as the cases of coronavirus in the country sharply spiked and the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic.
India announced 14-day mandatory quarantine for all foreign returnee, banned all seminar and workshop while Sensex tanked another 3000 points as the Coronairum threat is now going large and India activated disaster management plan.
Even the IPL may be played behind closed door and already strict advisory for players and support staff have been given.
Altogether, 67 people in India are infected, a chunk of themare a group of tourists from Italy. The Union health ministry said all existingvisas — except diplomatic, official, UN/International organizations,employment and project visas — will be suspended till April 15.
US President Donald Trump has suspended all travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days, starting Friday, amid scare over novel coronavirus or COVID-19, indicating that the ban would include halting trade. He said, "strong but necessary" restrictions would not apply to the UK where 460 cases of the illness have been confirmed.
"This will comeinto effect from 1200 GMT on 13th March 2020 at the port of departure,"read a communiqué issued late Wednesday night after a meeting of a Group ofMinisters headed by health minister Dr Harshvardhan. Visa facilities had beenpartially suspended earlier from the COVID-19 nations, countries where thevirus is on a rampage.
The World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic, meaning a disease that has spread worldwide and affected a huge number of people. In a series of tweets, the WHO said it was "deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity (of the virus), and by the alarming levels of inaction".
The government communiqué that announced the suspension of visas this evening, also said, "Visa-free travel facility granted to OCI cardholders is kept in abeyance till April 15th 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 13th March 2020 at the port of departure".
Oscar-winning American actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, have tested positive for the new coronavirus while in Australia for a movie shoot.
The couple had body aches and fatigue, among other symptoms, the "Forrest Gump" star tweeted on Thursday.
"We Hanks' will be tested, observed, and isolated as long as public health requires," he said in the Twitter post. "Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We'll keep the world posted and updated."
Hanks is in Australia to shoot a movie about Elvis Presley. He is playing the role of Colonel Tom Parker, Presley's eccentric manager, who groomed the famous singer to stardom in the 1950s. Production on the film, which is being directed by Australian director Baz Luhrmann, is set to begin filming on Monday.
