Qatar bans entry of people from India, 13 other countries
New Delhi: Qatar has temporarily banned entry of people coming from India and 13 other countries in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
The temporary ban would also be applicable on people coming from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria and Thailand.
"This decision comes as a preventive measure due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide," Qatar government said in a statement dated March 8.
Flagship carrier Qatar Airways has also stopped flights from India, sources said. Qatar Airways operates 102 weekly flights from Doha to 13 Indian cities, including New Delhi.
According to the statement, the temporary suspension of entry would affect all individuals intending to enter from these countries, including visas upon arrival, those with residence or work permit, and temporary visitors.
Earlier, Qatar Airways announced temporary suspension of flights to and from Italy, one of the countries worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Other airlines that fly to Qatar, include IndiGo, GoAir and Air India.
There was no immediate statement from the three airlines about the status of their flights.
Meanwhile, Kuwait on Saturday had suspended operations of all flights to and from India and six other countries in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases. Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
