After Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh becomes the second state in India to ban the entry of foreign visitors as more and more coronavirus cases are being reported from across the country.
The Arunachal Pradesh government has temporarily stopped issuing Protected Area Permits (PAPs), exempting the entry of foreigners into the state, said a government official on Sunday.
“Naresh Kumar, Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary, has directed all PAP-issuing authorities to stop giving the permits till further notice,” the officials added.
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For entering Arunachal Pradesh, foreign nationals first need to avail PAP.
Issuing an order, the Arunachal government said, “It is learnt that COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in India and the numbers have been increasing.”
“It is also learnt that the spread of the coronavirus in India is primarily from visitors who had a history of travelling abroad recently or through tourists who have visited India,” the order added.
“In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, it has been decided to temporarily suspend issuing Protected Area Permit (PAP),” the order said.
Recently, Bhutan has banned the entry of foreign visitors for two weeks in an effort to minimise the impact COVID-19.