The rapid spread of COVID-19 across the globe has thrown movement of lakhs of travelers off gear. This has not only impacted pleasure trips of tourists but also business travel resulting in monetary losses worth millions.
In wake of numerous advisories against travel, the travel industry, particularly the aviation sector, has also get badly impacted. Not only traffic on their once popular routes have plummeted but several have to cancel flights to destinations in China and few other South and East Asian countries to prevent becoming carrier of the contagious virus.
According to MakeMyTrip flight bookings for Southeast Asian countries have been significantly impacted but sectors in But US and Europe are only seeing a marginal dip.
More than 95,000 people in 86 countries have been infected with the virus and more than 3,200 people have died. In India so far 31 persons have tested positive for the virus.
So the situation across the globe remains grim with only positives coming from China where fresh infections of COVID-19 has reduced. But does that make travel safer? And what if you still need to travel...are there enough flights available or whether the ticket you procured protects against any unforeseen cancellations?
Here is the situation as it exists :
International flights by domestic carriers:
*Air India and Indigo that run long haul flights have cancelled their flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai and the restrictions may well run into June
*SpicejJet has cancelled Delhi Hong Kong flights till March 28
*Vistara Airlines has cancelled around 54 flights to and from Bangkok and Singapore.
*GoAir suspends flight operations to Dammam, Saudi Arabia after an advisory issued by the Saudi government to not allow non-Saudi residents to enter. It has also suspended flights to Thailand
International flights by global airlines:
*Almost all major airlines operating out of India have suspended flights to China, Korea, Iran, Italy and some to Japan.
*European and American connections provide by airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM, United Airlines from India continues
*JAL is still operating its service to Japan from India
*United, Air Canada, JetBlue, Alaska, American Airlines, Delta, Brutus Airways have suspended flights to China and reduced operations in countries with high Coronavirus infections such as Italy
Domestic airlines:
There have been no restrictions on domestic travel, so far.
What advisories have been issued by authorities that can affect your travel plan :
*From March 9 midnight all air travellers having visited or arriving from Italy and South Korea will require to submit a certificate of having tested nagative from health authorities -designated lab in their countries for Coronavirus at the departure.
*India has also suspended most visas issued to nationals of Japan, South Korea, Italy, Iran and China, as well as suspending visas of any travellers who had been to those five countries since February.
*It has now been decided that all incoming international passengers must declare their travel history to health and immigrations officials at India's airports.
*Arrivals from DGCA list of 12 countries undergo thermal screening, passengers with high temperature taken to quantantine
*Screening to be carried out at 21 airports across the country
*Regular (sticker) visa/e-visa granted to nationals of People's Republic of China, issued on or before February 5, 2020 were suspended earlier. It shall remain in force.
*Those needing to travel to India under compelling circumstances may apply for fresh visa to the nearest Indian Embassy/Consulate," the advisory said.
*An advisory had also directed passengers arriving directly or indirectly from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan to undergo medical screening at the port of entry
Travel Insurance :
*All Indian carriers are offering full refund or bookings to alternate destinations for flights that were booked earlier but are getting cancelled due Coronavirus scare.
*GoAir stated that people have the option of availing a full refund or utilising the booking amount for any future travel with the airline.
*In a travel advisory, Emirates has stated that those wishing to travel to Saudi Arabia will have to contact the Emirates office or their travel agent for refunds.
*Others travellers having expensive insurance cover may get full refunds by the insurance companies if they have included everything under coverage.
*But a larger number of insurers do not provide travel insurance against any pandemics outright. Moreover, any travel plan made now may not get covered for can cancellations due to Coronavirus.
Comments
anybody got their grevences answered here
corporation lights of cemetrey not glowing since two months. On 1st November 2019 is holy souls day. Kindly repair the lights at the earliest.
Fr. Joseph J. Lobo
Parish Priest
Street light is not working since 15 days. On 23rd July 2019 complaint lodged with Mobile No7353933410. Till date they are not responding
hello / madam
Keeping the city clean is our duty. I know not everybody is following that. We need some awareness program
to keep our city clean green and hygenic. Its our duty to keep the environment clean and place around us.
But it is also the duty of Corporation to maintain the cleanliness aroud the city, in some parts of the city like market, near clock tower circle its not been getting cleaned from past few days. Please do the needfull for betterment of tomorrow
thank you
Dear Madam, I have purchased 1 BHK flat in Green City, Vamadapadav on October, 2013 and paid full amount to builder T3 Urban Developers LTD. As per agreement possession was in December, 2015 but still building is not ready.
There were 5 buildings in Green City and at a time builder started 3 buildings construction work. I have purchased middle of the building and that building 1st floor slab only completed and since long time work stopped.
Last year builder agreed to give me flat in 1st building but building’s interior work is still pending and since 1 year work totally stopped.
Presently builder is not picking call or not responding for query. It seems that he is cheating with me. Kindly help me to resolve this issue. I will be grateful to you.
Sir/Madam,
Four street lights are not working on Raghavendra Matt Road, Hosabettu, Surathkal since long.
The roads are in Shabby condition and hence difficult in the night to Padastrians.
Kindly arrange to replace the treet lights on Main road, Raghavendra Matt Road, Hosabettu, near and after the Areca Field.
the kalbavi road in kottara ashok nagar was provided with ugd pipe line during last year. as usual the centre of road was dug up in march 2018 for this purpose making the road not motorable during the monsoon of 2018.
the asphalt work is now planned now during nov2018 by mcc. this road is very narrow and not having the foot path or road side drain at all.
both the ugd agency as well as the asphalting agency have put the muck/soil on the sides of the road, making it now impossible to walk when there is traffic. also during monsoons , storm water from the entire stretch for about 500 ft will flow on this road itself which is diverted to my compound/pure water sump due to the faulty work of mcc.
in spite of repeated requests/complaints to the commissioner,corporators, engineers of mcc, publishing of the photos of the same in some news papers,action is yet to be taken.
now at least it is requested to remove all the above dumped muck /soil on either sides of this road which is also preventing the entry of monsoon water th the existing drain near the starting point of sagar court.
Street light not working at kulai kavinakallu 2nd street
Relevant department has to look into the matter seriously and work on it and mark the matter as closed so that its notified as closed. Its a good move for public and public workers to work hand in hand
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