Indian authorities announced that all international commercial flights will be banned for one week beginning on 22 March 2020, as part of overall efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus. A curfew will also be in effect between 0700 and 2100 local time (0130 and 1530 UTC) on 22 March. Additionally, the government ordered the rail and aviation sectors to suspend services for individuals who qualify for concessions, except for students, medical patients and individuals with disabilities. On 18 March an entry ban for travelers from Europe, Afghanistan, Malaysia and the Philippines went into effect through 31 March.
In Indonesia, officials will suspend visa on arrival services beginning on 20 March. All visa applicants will be required to provide a health certificate to be issued by a health professional from their respective country. In a related development, authorities began implementing limits on food purchases on 17 March in order to ensure the availability of staple foods and to prevent panic buying. Under the new limitations, customers at grocery stores will only be allowed to purchase up to 10 kg (22 lbs) of rice, 2 kg (4 lbs) of sugar, 4 liters (1 gallon) of cooking oil and two boxes of instant noodles per visit. Authorities will enforce the measures until further notice.
In Singapore, on 18 March the Ministry of Health (MOH) advised citizens against traveling abroad due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The MOH had previously warned against nonessential travel abroad. Additionally, beginning at 2359 local time (1559 UTC) on 20 March all arrivals, including Singaporean nationals, will be issued a 14-day Stay Home Notice. Notably, travelers from Hubei province in China will be required to undergo quarantine for 14 days.
On 18 March, Laos suspended visa on arrival services for all foreign travelers for 30 days, effective immediately. These measures follow the implementation of a self-quarantine requirement for travelers without the symptoms of COVID-19 who come from countries — with no shared borders with Laos — that have recorded more than 100 cases of the coronavirus. Travelers without symptoms who come from countries that share a border with Laos and have more than 10 cases — or those who come from neighboring provinces with more than three cases — must also self-quarantine for 14 days.
