Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued an additional travel advisory which says that aside from the visa restrictions already in place, passengers traveling from Italy or the Republic of Korea will require a 'tested negative for COVID -19' certificate before they are allowed to enter the country.

The certificates would have to be issued from designated laboratories authorised by the health authorities of these countries. This measure by the Health Ministry for the prevention of coronavirus will come into effect from midnight March 10. The Ministry has said that this is only a temporary measure till the coronavirus outbreak subsides.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had earlier confirmed that a total of 29 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in India. This number includes the three initial cases in Kerala who were treated and later discharged from the hospitals.

Two new cases were discovered on Monday, one in Delhi with a travel history to Italy and another in Telangana. The patient from Telangana had come in contact with a Singapore national who had been infected with the coronavirus. 17 Italian tourists who were in India to tour Rajasthan were also tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday.

The government had said on Tuesday that all incoming international passengers must declare their travel history to health and immigration officials at India's airports.

Italy is one of the worst affected countries apart from China, with 107 confirmed dead because of the coronavirus outbreak. Till now, over 3,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Italy.

South Korea, a neighbor of China, is another country that has been gravely affected by coronavirus. South Korea reported 760 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing it to a total of 6,088 in the country - the highest outside of China. The coronavirus death toll in South Korea is currently at 40, with eight new deaths confirmed on Thursday.

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