Coronavirus: Foreigners who went to China after Jan 15 not allowed to enter India, says DGCA

As the outbreak of novel coronavirus has to lead to the death of more than 700 Chinese nationals, aviation regulator DGCA on Saturday said that foreigners who went to China on or after January 15 will not be allowed to enter India. The DGCA, in its circular to airlines on Saturday, reiterated that all visas issued to Chinese nationals before February 5 have been suspended.

However, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clarified, "These visa restrictions will not apply to aircrew, who may be Chinese nationals or other foreign nationalities coming from China." "Foreigners who have been to China on or after January 15, 2020, are not allowed to enter India from any air, land or seaport, including Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan, Indo-Bangladesh or Indo-Myanmar land borders," the DGCA said.

Among Indian airlines, IndiGo and Air India have suspended all of their flights between the two countries. SpiceJet continues to fly on the Delhi-Hong Kong route. On February 1 and 2, Air India conducted two special flights to the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, evacuating 647 Indians and seven Maldivians.

To date, three Indians have tested positive for novel coronavirus.