SINGAPORE, 30 April 2021: Countries that once welcomed Indian travellers are now shutting borders in response to India’s runaway surge of Covid-19 infections exceeding 300,000 cases daily.
This week India’s seven-day average runs at 321,625 infections compared with a seven-day average of 59,325 just a month earlier.
New Delhi’s hospitals are facing an oxygen shortage as the country’s capital alone currently registers 20,000+ new cases daily. India has emerged as the global hotspot of the pandemic in recent weeks, accounting for almost 40% of new cases over the past seven days.
Countries are locking down their borders, denying entry to anyone who has spent the last 14-days in India. Thailand will deny entry to Indian citizens and foreigners who are resident in India starting 1 May.
But contrary to online news reports, most of the exclusive island resorts in the Maldives that cater only to foreign guests remain open to Indian travellers. Only designated “inhabited” local islands are off-limits since new restrictions came into effect on 27 April.
The Maldives has been relying on Indian visitors to keep its tourism industry afloat since the country reopened last July. By a long margin, it leads as the top tourist supplier, followed by Russia.
Based on the revised rules, Indian tourists arriving in the Maldives who have completed their Covid-19 vaccine inoculation and have a negative RT-PCR test prior to entry are welcome. The swab test must be taken not more than 96 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure from the first port of embarkation en route to the Maldives. They will also have to take another test for Covid- l9 within a maximum of 72 hours prior to their departure from the Maldives.
Countries implementing India travel ban
- Australia
- Belgium
- Canada
- Italy
- France
- Hong Kong
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Kuwait
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
- United Kingdom
Statista chart and report: https://www.statista.com/chart/24725/indias-share-of-global-new-covid-19-cases-and-deaths/
