People with travel history to Italy, S Korea need 'negative' COVID-19 certificate to enter India
New Delhi: In addition to visa restrictions already in place, people travelling from or having visited Italy and South Korea will now have to mandatorily submit certificate of having tested negative for COVID-19 from laboratories authorised by the health authorities of their countries.
This measure came into effect from 0000 hrs of March 10 and is a temporary measure till cases of novel coronavirus subside, according to a health ministry advisory.
According to media reports, 45 Indians are stuck at Rome airport with Emirates airline not letting them board, saying they won't be allowed to deboard in India.
"In addition to visa restrictions already in place, passengers travelling from/having visited Italy or Republic of Korea and desirous of entering India will need certificate of having tested negative for COVID-19 from the designated laboratories authorized by the health authorities of these countries," according to the health ministry advisory issued Thursday.
The DGCA has also stated that air travellers having visited or arriving from Italy and South Korea will require to submit a certificate of having "tested" negative from a health authorities designated lab in their countries for coronavirus at the departure airport.
The Indian Embassy in Italy has also asked Indian students with flights to India on or after March 10 that they may submit their details by filling in a form online.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
