Coronavirus update: Arunachal Pradesh now bans entry of foreign tourists

Arunachal Pradesh has now banned the entry of foreign tourists as a precautionary measure against Coronavirus outbreak.

The Arunachal Pradesh Government has temporarily stopped issuing Protected Area Permits (PAPs), thereby exempting the entry of foreigners in the state, a government official informed. As per a notification issued by State Chief Secretary Naresh Singh, the state announced the suspension of Protected Area Permit that is required to visit the state. The notification, however, did not mention when the issuance of permits will resume. As per the notification of the Arunachal Pradesh Government, it states that the positive cases of Coronavirus have been detected in India and that the numbers are increasing. It is also stated that the spread of the said virus is primarily spread from visitors who had a history of travelling abroad recently or via visitors who have visited India. Therefore, to help prevent the spread of the virus in Arunachal Pradesh, it has been decided that the state will suspend issuing the PAPs temporarily, the order noted.
The said move comes into effect barely after Sikkim and Bhutan announced similar curbs on foreigners, and virtually sealing almost all the access points to the eastern Himalayas except via Darjeeling.

Further, amid fears of Covid-19 spread in the Northeast, several testing and screening centres have been set up along India’s borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.