China has temporarily suspended entry of Indian nationals into the nation due to concerns over COVID-19 pandemic. The decision comes after almost 20 passengers aboard Delhi-Wuhan flight on October 30 tested positive for COVID upon arrival last week.
The Air India Delhi-Wuhan flight was being flown as a part of India's Vande Bharat Mission. Air India had planned a total of four flights to China between November 13 and December 4, which could now be impacted.
Following the suspension, sources said that the Delhi-Wuhan-Delhi flight, which was to flight out today (November 6) stands cancelled as it does not have approval of Chinese authorities for the same.
Chinese Notice on Temporary Suspension of Certain Valid Chinese Visas
•The Chinese Embassy in India notified the temporary ban on the entry of Indians into China through an official statement on its main website.
•The statement read that due to COVID-19 pandemic, China has decided to temporarily suspend the entry of foreign nationals in India holding valid Chinese visas or residence permits.
•The statement added saying that the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in India will not stamp the Health Declaration Forms for the holders of the above-mentioned categories of visa or residence permits.
Exemptions
•The suspension does impact foreigners holding Chinese diplomatic, service, courtesy and C visas. The foreigners with emergency or humanitarian needs to visit China can also their visa application to the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in India. This would also not impact the entry into China with visas issued after November 3rd, 2020.
•The Chinese embassy further stated that the suspension is a temporary measurement that China has to adopt to deal with the current pandemic. It added that China will make further adjustment in a timely manner in accordance with the ongoing pandemic situation.
•China has also imposed similar temporary bans on the entry of foreign nationals from the UK, Belgium and the Philippines for the same reason.
Background
The decision comes three days after China issued fresh guidelines for airlines flying passengers into the country. China in an official statement on November 2, 2020 had stated that all Chinese and foreign passengers bound for China will be required to take nucleic acid and IgM anti-body tests and apply for a green health code with the ‘HS’ mark or a certified health declaration form before boarding the flight to China.
The strict measure has been undertaken to reduce cross-border transmission of COVID-19. This means that from now on till further notice, all the passengers taking chartered flights or special flights from India to China will be required to take double nucleic acid tests and one IgM anti-body test of Covid-19, in labs authorised by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The samples of the first nucleic acid test will have to collected within 72 hours before boarding and the samples of the second nucleic acid test and the IgM anti-body test will have to be collected within 36 hours before boarding.
The passengers then will need to send the certificates of negative results of the three said tests along with a personally signed health declaration form to the Chinese embassy in India through External Affairs Ministry for verification and stamping at least 24 hours before boarding.
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