ITALY BANS ARRIVALS FROM VIRUS-HIT INDIA

Sun 25 April 2021:

The Italian medical authorities banned entry for people who have been in India in the past 2 weeks due to an outbreak of a mutated variant of the coronavirus in this country, Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Sunday.

“I have signed a new order that prohibits entry to Italy for those who have been in India in the last 14 days. Persons permanently residing in Italy will be able to return provided they undergo tests upon departure and arrival with a quarantine obligation. Anyone who has been to India in the last 14 days and has already returned to our country should undergo a test and contact the disease prevention services,” Speranza said on Facebook.

The total number of those who tested positive for the coronavirus in India has neared 17 million, making it the second country to the United States in terms of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Over the past several days, India has been registering record daily coronavirus incidence and mortality rates.

Earlier this week, a number of countries, including Germany, Iran and Canada, announced temporary limitations on the passenger traffic with India after a new variant of the coronavirus with triple mutation variant B.1.618 had been discovered in the West Bengal state. Indian scientists believe that the new variant transmits faster than any previously known ones and infects old and young alike.