Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 19
Intensifying its response to Covid-19, India today expanded physical distancing measures for the community, asking states to ensure elders and children stay at home besides toughening travel restrictions by barring all international passengers in the country from March 22 to 29. No international commercial flight will be allowed to disembark its passengers, foreigners or Indians, on Indian soil after 1.30 am on March 23, aviation regulator DGCA said on Thursday.
The regulator’s circular came after the Centre issued a statement that no international flight would be allowed to land in India from March 22 onward for a period of one week. “No scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft shall take off from any foreign airport for any airport in India after 5.30 am on March 22. These instructions shall remain in force till 5.30 am of March 29,” the regulator noted.
The measures were announced on a day when the country saw the fourth death from coronavirus, that of an elderly man from Punjab. The Health Ministry said the Punjab patient had comorbid conditions, including heart problem, diabetes and hypertension.
As the Covid case load reached 173, the Group of Ministers reviewing the situation met ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s address to the nation to take measures to prevent community transmission. “Right now, India does not have any community transmission of the virus. All infections currently are localised but we are taking preventive steps to avoid transmission to the community,” Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said, briefing reporters after the GoM meeting today.
The GoM decided that no scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft shall be allowed to land in India from March 22 for one week. It also asked states to ensure all citizens above 65 barring public representatives and government and medical professionals stay at home, so do children under 10 years of age.
“The idea is to protect high-risk populations. Children should be prevented from going to public parks and states should also ensure all recreational facilities and religious gatherings are restricted,” said Agarwal.
The GoM has also directed states to ensure reduction in the frequency of railway, metros, buses and airplanes. The Centre has asked states to enforce work for home for private sector employees. “To reduce crowding, all Group B and C Central govt employees will be asked to attend offices on alternate week,” the GoM said later. The Health Ministry has asked all hospitals to postpone non-urgent hospitalisation and surgeries to prevent infection.