No domestic flights from Wednesday, says Centre over coronavirus outbreak

New Delhi : All domestic flights will remain cancelled from Wednesday onwards, the Centre announced on Monday in a massive step to ensure no coronavirus spread among the citizens.

The government issued an advisory that airlines must plan their operations in a way that they land at their destination before 11.59 pm on Tuesday, the government said. Post that only operation of cargo flights will be allowed.

International flights had already been banned for a week and most of the country's land borders have been sealed.

On Sunday, the authorities had banned trains, metros and inter-state buses to stop the movement of people between states.

The government's announcement came after the health ministry notified that the total number of positive coronavirus cases has rose to 415. Eight people have been confirmed dead.

Earlier in the day, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India confirmed that there will be no restriction on the domestic and international CARGO operations at any airport.

"Currently there are no restrictions imposed on domestic or foreign air operators for carrying out cargo operations at any airport in India. All stakeholders kindly note," DGCA tweeted on Monday morning.