ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh government on Saturday banned the entry of foreigners to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the state.The move comes barely two days after Sikkim and Bhutan announced curbs on foreigners, virtually sealing nearly all access points to the eastern Himalayas except through Darjeeling. Already jittery over the loss of high-value foreign travellers following the twin bans earlier, travel agents in Kolkata said the ban imposed by Arunachal Pradesh would leave the travel trade industry further battered.Chief secretary Naresh Kumar has directed the authorities to stop issuing protected area permits (PAP), a must for any foreigner interested in visiting Arunachal, until further orders. So far, Covid-19 has claimed 3,128 lives across the globe.The government has directed all deputy commissioners to conduct regular meetings with district medical officers and frequently review the preparedness. A 24x7 control room has been set up at the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme for responding to any queries on travel advisories regarding coronavirus. Rapid response teams have been formed to act as first responders to possible cases that are detected in the state.State health and family welfare minister Alo Libang , in a statement in the assembly on March 5, had said the government was working hard to prevent coronavirus cases in the state. The minister had further informed that an isolation ward with minimum two beds in district and general hospitals have been identified. Five beds have been reserved at Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences at Naharlagun and Baken Pertin General Hospital at Pasight in East Siang district, he had said.Quarantine facilities have been arranged in Papum Pare, West Kameng, East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley , Tirap and Libang districts and passengers coming from outside are being screened as a preventive measure.In the meanwhile, East Siang district medical officer Dr Kaling Dai has lodged an FIR against one Subu Kena Tsering at Pasighat Police Station for posting misleading information on coronavirus on the social media. Tsering had reportedly uploaded a Facebook post stating that coronavirus has reached Pasighat and two patients have been referred to Dibrugarh in Assam On the other hand, Mizoram is also considering a ban on the the entry of foreigners in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma, the state nodal officer of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, told TOI that 51 people have been quarantined in their respective homes as a precautionary measure. “No coronavirus case has been detected in the state till date,” Lalmalsawma said, adding that concerted efforts are being made to ensure safety of the people.(With inputs from Kolkata)