COVID-19 effect: Hong Kong suspends flights connecting India from April 20 to May 3

New Delhi, April 18

Hong Kong has suspended all flights connecting it with India from Tuesday to May 3 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, aviation industry sources said on Sunday.

  They said the Hong Kong government has also suspended flights to and from Pakistan as well as the Philippines for the aforementioned time period.

The Hong Kong government's decision has come after 50 passengers of two Vistara flights this month were found positive for COVID-19 when tested on arrival.

According to rules, all passengers who want to come to Hong Kong need to have a COVID-negative RTPCR result with them from a test done 72 hours prior to the journey.

Earlier on Sunday, the Hong Kong government announced suspension of all Vistara flights on Mumbai-Hong Kong route till May 2. 

This decision was taken as three passengers on Vistara's Mumbai-Hong Kong flight on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival.

Till Sunday, total 47 passengers who were on Vistara's Delhi-Hong Kong flight of April 4 have tested positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Vistara's flights on Delhi-Hong Kong route had earlier been banned from April 6 to April 19.

Vistara did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on the matter.  A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken India's case tally to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

The death toll increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. PTI