Health Care

India suspending all tourist visas amid coronavirus pandemic

India is temporarily suspending all tourist visas amid the global coronavirus outbreak effective Friday. 

“All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till 15th April 2020,” the India’s health ministry tweeted Wednesday.

The health ministry also advised Indian citizens to avoid nonessential travel and informed them they’re potentially subject to a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. 

India currently has 60 confirmed cases of the virus and one death — nearly 20 times less than the U.S., according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering. Earlier on Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic, with one of the organization’s leaders citing the severity and speed at which the virus is spreading.