New Delhi/Beijing, Feb 2 (IANS): The Central government on Sunday temporarily banned the e-visa entry of Chinese and other foreign nationals into India in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.

In a tweet posted by the Indian embassy in Beijing, the government said, "Due to certain current developments, travel to India on e-visas stands temporarily suspended with immediate effect. This applies to holders of Chinese passports and applicants of other nationalities residing in the People's Republic of China."

The government warned, "Holders of already issued e-visas may note that these are no longer valid. All those who have a compelling reason to visit India may contact the Embassy of India in Beijing or the Indian consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou, and the Indian Visa Application Centres in these cities."

The decision came hours after the government evacuated around 650 Indians from Wuhan, the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV epidemic. Over 300 people have died and 14,000 people have been infected in Wuhan by the virus so far.

The US, Australia and many other countries have evacuated their own respective citizens and already banned the arrival of foreigners from China. WHO has called the outbreak a global health emergency.