COVID-19: This is why government suspended domestic travel by planes and trains

New Delhi : India is on stage 2 of the coronavirus spread which means people with an international travel history and their contacts have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). But, some reports suggested that people were risking the lives of others by slipping out from the home quarantine and using public transport.

Soon after Indian Railways learned that at least 12 coronavirus positive people travelled through the trains, the officials suspended all operations in the nation till March 31, announcing full refund of the tickets will be given to the affected passengers.

Now, the government has suspended domestic air travel with immediate effect.

The call has been taken after it was learned that people were boarding flights in a bid to move to small towns and villages where the effect of COVID-19 is almost nil.

People were seen shifting to small towns or home towns to ensure their safety, but it was more of a risk as any of the infected people who may have travelled from major cities to small towns could have been a possible carrier of the virus to such places.

While all commercial travel has been banned in both trains and planes till March 31, the good trains and Cargo operations at the airports will remain operational to ensure proper supply of food to all places in India.

30 States and Union Territories have been put under lockdown to break the chain and spread of novel coronavirus in India, where 468 confirmed cases have been reported with 10 deaths.