3rd Covid death as India tightens travel ban

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17

At a critical stage in outbreak transmission, India today intensified detection and containment efforts in its battle against Covid-19 involving private labs for testing and further tightening the travel advisories.

All government ministries were simultaneously advised to install thermal scanners at entry points to offices and stop non-essential official travel.

With the third Covid death of a 63-year-old getting confirmed in Mumbai today, the government prohibited travel to India from Afghanistan, Philippines and Malaysia.

All flights from these countries to India stood barred starting 3 pm Indian Standard Time on Tuesday and airlines were asked to enforce the order at the port of initial departure. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation also asked airlines to disinfect planes every 24 hours.

The travel advisory will be applicable till March 31 and subject to review. This means even Indians from the above countries plus EU, UK and Turkey (covered by travel advisory on Monday) can’t return home. The Ministry of External Affairs today said: “It is safer for Indians abroad to stay there. The Indian Missions abroad are helping everyone who requires assistance. We will be asking other countries to extend visas for Indians given the current Covid situation. The severe cases who need to return on compassionate grounds should meet our ambassadors for guidance.”

Meanwhile, 250 of the 850 Indian students and pilgrims stranded in Iran were learnt to have tested positive for the virus. Although the MEA didn’t confirm the figure, Additional Secretary in the MEA Dammu Ravi said, “All Indians in Iran are safe.”

Over 100 Indians stuck on a cruise ship off the US coast also appealed today to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for help.

Back home, the Covid case count reached 137, jumping 23 cases in a day.

Of these 137 cases, 113 are Indians and the rest are foreigners, including 17 Italians.

The Mumbai patient who died today had returned from Dubai on March 5, the government said, adding that the patient did not disclose the history of travel to Dubai.

“The patient was in a private hospital for five days and was subsequently referred to the government-run Kasturba Hospital, Mumbai. The patient had a travel history to Dubai, which he reportedly did not disclose at the time of his admission to the private hospital. His wife, too, is Covid positive, but stable,” government officials said.

The Health Ministry urged people to declare symptoms, travel history and practice social distancing. As cases in India surged, the ICMR, India’s apex medical research body, involved private labs in testing and appealed to them to offer the test free of cost.

The ICMR also said it will create 49 additional government labs under DRDO and CSIR in the next 10 days in addition to the existing 52.

Victim hid Dubai trip

The 63-year-old Mumbai patient who died on Tuesday had returned from Dubai on March 5. He had not disclosed his travel.

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