NEW DELHI - India has expanded a travel ban on passengers flying in from the United Kingdom, Turkey and the whole of Europe, announcing that even Indian passport holders would be denied entry from these locations till the end of March.

In addition, passengers from Malaysia, Afghanistan and the Philippines - including Indian passport holders - are to be denied entry.

“Travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, the European free trade association, Turkey and the United Kingdom to India is prohibited with effect from March 18, 2020. No airline shall board passengers from these nations to India with effect from 1200 GMT on March 18, 2020,” according to a notification from the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

“The airline shall enforce this at the port of initial departure. Both these instructions are temporary measures and shall be in force till March 31, 2020, and will be reviewed subsequently,” the DGCA said, according to a report in The Economic Times.

A separate notification on Tuesday (March 17) said: "Travel of passengers from Afghanistan, Philippines, (and) Malaysia to India is prohibited with immediate effect. No flight shall take off from these countries to India after 1500 hours Indian Standard Time (IST)."

The travel restrictions follows a separate announcement banning entry by foreign passport holders and Overseas Indian Citizen (OIC) cardholders into the country from last Friday. However, till now, Indian passport holders were allowed entry into the country.