India Partially Closes Borders Due to COVID-19 Concerns... Enters Disaster Response Mode

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] The Indian government has closed a significant portion of its borders and entered a disaster response mode to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to local media such as PTI on the 15th, Indian authorities decided to temporarily close 18 out of 37 checkpoints established at the borders with Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar starting from that day.

The border checkpoints on the Pakistan side, where there is almost no exchange, announced they will be completely closed from the 16th.

India had been considered a 'COVID-19 safe zone' for some time, but recently the number of confirmed cases has been increasing rapidly. Accordingly, the Indian government has effectively blocked foreign entry until the 15th of next month by suspending visa validity. School closures have been ordered in several places including Delhi, and large-scale events such as the opening of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament have been postponed or canceled.

As of the 14th, India officially reported 84 confirmed COVID-19 cases. However, local media, compiling data from state government announcements, report that the number of confirmed cases has reached nearly 100.

The Indian government also declared the current situation as a 'known disaster' on the 14th and initiated disaster response measures according to regulations. First, the government decided to provide 400,000 rupees (approximately 6.6 million KRW) to families of those who died from COVID-19 infection. They also plan to significantly strengthen quarantine measures, including expanding infection diagnosis centers and increasing protective equipment.

Neighboring Pakistan has also entered an emergency response mode with border closures, school closures, and restrictions on international flights. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced that borders leading to Afghanistan, Iran, and India will be closed for 15 days starting from the 16th, and all schools will remain closed until the 5th of next month.

Pakistan, being a neighboring country to Iran where COVID-19 cases have been concentrated, is experiencing growing fear of the virus. Despite government warnings, a large Islamic religious event attended by 250,000 people was held in northern Lahore on the 11th and 12th, further fueling concerns about the spread. On the 14th, Pakistan reported 5 additional confirmed cases, bringing the total number of infections to 33.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.