Indonesia to bar entry from 7 European countries & Iran to prevent coronavirus spread

Indonesia's foreign ministry on Tuesday announced that it will prohibit entry of visitors from seven European countries plus Iran to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country. As per reports, the seven European countries are the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the Vatican City. The restriction will come into effect from March 20, the foreign ministry confirmed. 

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Indonesian health ministry official Achmad Yurianto on Tuesday said that his country is bracing for a significant rise in coronavirus cases as it widens its efforts to trace more patients. As per reports, Indonesian authorities faced criticism for their handling of the outbreak as doctors accused them of conducting far fewer tests than required. As per reports, Indonesia has so far conducted only 1,230 cases, in contrast South Korea which has tested more than 2,00,000 citizens. 

Read: Coronavirus: Indonesia Bans Entry Of Foreign Visitors From Iran, Italy And South Korea

Coronavirus outbreak

Indonesia has so far recorded 172 cases of coronavirus, of which 38 cases came in the last 24 hours, while it has successfully treated 8 patients. According to data accessed by worldometer, the Southeast Asian country has logged five deaths since the virus first broke out in December last year. The total number of active cases in the country currently stands at 159. Italy, Iran and Spain are the most affected countries besides China, where virus cases have escalated rapidly. 

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The COVID-19 has claimed more than 7,400 lives across the globe and has infected over 1,87,000 people around the world since it first broke out in December 2019. China is the most affected country in the world in this regard, though the epicentre has recently shifted to Europe. According to the latest reports, at least 3,000 people have died outside mainland China, which makes this the worst disease outbreak of the 21st century. India has thus far recorded 137 infections, with 3 people succumbing.

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