Civil Aviation Ministry has ordered that all domestic commercial flights to cease operating from 11:59 PM tomorrow. According to Journalist Shiv Aroor, only cargo planes will continue to operate during this period. He took to Twitter to share the news. He wrote:
“BIG BREAKING: All domestic commercial flights to be stopped indefinitely from midnight tomorrow (11.59PM/March 24), declares Civil Aviation Ministry. Airlines need to plan operations to land at destinations before this time. Restriction does not apply to cargo flights. #StayHome”
There is no update on the duration of this ban and for now, airlines are being instructed by the civil aviation ministry to land all their aircraft ahead of the deadline. All international flights to India have already been banned from 22 March to 29 March due to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, Indian Railways has also canceled all passenger trains including metros till March 31st.
Most states have closed down all non-essential venues and are advising self-quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In Maharashtra, workplaces have been closed till March 31st in addition to gyms, theatres, and pools.
80 cities across India will go into lockdown till March 31 to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. These include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bengaluru. Maharashtra has been one of the most severely hit states in the pandemic.
There are nearly 350 COVID-19 patients across the country and seven have died. Three deaths were reported on Sunday. Worldwide, as many as 13,049 people have died and the deadly virus has infected 3.7 lakh people. A total of 396 people have tested positive for coronavirus in India as per ICMR.
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