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Covid in India: 6 countries that have imposed travel bans, restrictions

With India buckling under a deadly second wave of the coronavirus crisis and hospitals in the country running out of beds and oxygen supplies, countries across the world have announced travel bans and restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

India recorded more than 2,000 Covid deaths on Wednesday and almost 300,000 new cases, among the world’s biggest daily totals since the pandemic began, official data showed.
In the wake of the ongoing Covid situation, world leaders have also had to reconsider their trips to the country. UK premier Boris Johnson cancelled his visit for the second time on Monday, while Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced he was postponing his trip originally set for the end of April.

Here’s a list of countries that have imposed travel bans and restrictions on passengers from India so far:

1. Pakistan

Pakistan on Monday imposed a ban on travellers from India through air and land routes for the next two weeks due to a double-mutant variant of the virus in the neighbouring country.

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said it would carry out a review of countries placed in Category C on April 21, in view of the presence of the Indian variant in other countries.

2. The USA

On Monday, Americans too were advised to avoid travelling to India due to the “very high level of Covid-19” present in the country.

“Because of the current situation in India, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants and should avoid all travel to India,” said the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

3. The UK

Boris Johnson’s government on Monday announced a travel ban on arrivals from India from 4am on Friday, following the detection of over 100 cases of the Indian variant of Covid-19, health secretary Matt Hancock announced in the House of Commons.

The Indian variant is considered to be fast-growing in the United Kingdom, where the number of new infections, hospitalisations, and deaths have fallen in recent days and weeks.

4. New Zealand

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on April 8 that the country had temporarily suspended entry for all travellers from India, including its own citizens, following a high number of positive coronavirus cases arriving from India.

The suspension started on April 11 and will be in place until April 28.

5. Hong Kong

Hong Kong suspended flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines from April 20 for two weeks after the N501Y mutant Covid-19 strain was detected in the Asian financial hub for the first time, authorities said in a statement late on Sunday.

The three countries were classified as “extremely high risk” after multiple imported cases carrying the strain into Hong Kong were discovered in the past 14 days, the government said.

Airlines impacted by Hong Kong’s ban on travellers from India, Pakistan and the Philippines include carriers such as Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Vistara and Cebu Pacific.

6. Singapore

Singapore on Tuesday announced that travellers from India will have to serve an additional seven days stay-at-home notice apart from the usual mandatory 14 days quarantine at a dedicated facility due to the steep rise in the coronavirus cases and the emergence of new virus strain in the country.

The announcement by the Ministry of Health came as the entry approvals for non-Singapore citizens and non-permanent residents are being reduced with immediate effect, in response to the worsening Covid-19 situation in India.