Home Ministry said 20 international Integrated Check Posts will continue to remain operational

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to shut down all immigration land check posts in eastern and northern India from Saturday midnight in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

However 20 international Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) will remain operational.

The decision to impose the restriction from midnight was taken by the Immigration Section of the Foreigner’s Division of MHA and an “office memorandum” was issued on Friday.

“All types of passenger movements through all the Immigration Land Check Posts located at Indo-Bangladesh Border, Indo-Nepal Border, Indo-Bhutan Border and Indo-Myanmar Border will be suspended with effect from 00:00 hours, March 15, 2020 till further orders,” the memo noted.

However, restrictions in Indo-Nepal or Indo-Bhutan borders are applied “only for third country nationals and not to Indian nationals or nationals of Nepal or Bhutan.”

The border haats (markets) on India-Bangladesh border will shut too.

Indo-Bangladesh cross border “passenger train and passenger busses shall remain suspended” from March15-April 15 or till further orders whichever is earlier,” the MHA memorandum noted.

Heath inspections will also be intensified at these ICPs and tarvellers showing signs of COVID-19 or with a recent travel history to any of the seven countries that registered a record of the outbreak “shall be subjected to quarantine.”

The countries are Italy, Iran, Spain, France, Germany and Republic of Korea, the memorandum noted.