COVID-19: No international flights to land in India from Mar 22; Centre asks states to enforce work from home
New Delhi/IBNS: In a slew of measures taken to combat the deadly Novel Coronavirus, the government has banned the landing of all international commercial flights in India for a week beginning on Mar 22, asked states to enforce work from home for private employees apart from advising citizens above 65 and children below 10 years of age to remain indoors.
The government said in an advisory, "No scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft shall be allowed to land in India from March 22, 2020 for one week."
In a major announcement, the Centre on Thursday requested the states to enforce work from home for private employees except for emergency services.
The state governments have been asked to issue directions so that citizens above 65 years of age remain indoors except for medical assistance. However, public representatives, government servants, medical professionals are exempted.
The Centre has also advised children below 10 years of age to stay at home.
Advisory: No scheduled international commercial passenger aircraft shall be allowed to land in India from March 22, 2020 for one week. #COVID2019india pic.twitter.com/QY1z1xAa2g
— PIB India (@PIB_India) March 19, 2020
The railways and civil aviation have been ordered to cancel all concessional travel except for students, patients and divyang category.
In another advisory, the government said, "To reduce crowding all Group B and Group C central government employees will be asked to attend offices on alternative week and staggered timings for all employees."
The death toll in Novel Coronavirus increased to four in India as a patient passed away in the northern state of Punjab on Thursday.
According to reports, a 70-year old man died in Punjab. The man had a travel history to Germany and Italy.
Earlier, three people had died in Karnataka, Delhi and Maharashtra.
Across the country, 186 people including the cured and deaths have been infected with COVID-19.
Out of 186, 15 people have recovered.
Out of all the Indian states, Maharashtra has recorded the most number of cases (46) followed by Kerala (30).
Meanwhile, all board examinations of CBSE, ISCE and ISE have been postponed over the outbreak of the deadly virus.
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