Hong Kong suspends flights connecting India till 3 May after 50 Vistara passengers test positive

New Delhi: Hong Kong has suspended all flights connecting it with India from Tuesday to 3 May amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, aviation industry sources said on Sunday. They said the Hong Kong government has also suspended flights to and from Pakistan as well as the Philippines for the aforementioned time period. The Hong Kong government’s decision has come after 50 passengers of two Vistara flights this month were found positive for COVID-19 when tested on arrival. According to rules, all passengers who want to come to Hong Kong need to have a COVID-negative RTPCR result with them from a test done 72 hours prior to the journey. Earlier on Sunday, the Hong Kong government announced the suspension of all Vistara flights on the Mumbai-Hong Kong route till 2 May. This decision was taken as three passengers on Vistara’s Mumbai-Hong Kong flight on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival. Till Sunday, a total of 47 passengers who were on Vistara’s Delhi-Hong Kong flight of 4 April has tested positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong. Vistara’s flights on the Delhi-Hong Kong route had earlier been banned from 6 to 29 April. Vistara did not respond to PTI’s request for a statement on the matter. A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken India’s case tally to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The death toll increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.