India has suspended all existing visas granted on or before March 11 in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The visa were suspended until 15 April 2020, but will exclude diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment and project visas.

"Any foreign national who intends to travel to India for compelling reason may contact the nearest Indian Mission," the country's Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. "All incoming travelers, including Indians, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain & Germany after 15th Feb, 2020 shall be quarantined for a minimum period of 14 days."

India's suspension of visas comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold in the past two weeks, and the number of affected countries tripled. He said there were more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and 4,291 people who had lost their lives.

India's health Ministry urged the country's citizens against non-essential foreign travel. It also announced a 14-day quarantine period for all travelers entering the country.

Source(s): India Health Ministry