Coronavirus jitters: Flight reservations to Delhi drop by this much; railways take hit too

With the outbreak of coronavirus in India’s national capital Delhi, flight and railway reservations to the city have dropped by 11% in the last two days. Along with Delhi, two other cities — Jaipur and Agra — have also witnessed fewer reservations in both railways and flights as compared to the two-day period a fortnight ago, The Indian Express reported. “We have seen an average of 10-15% decrease in train bookings and a 5-10% decrease in flight bookings to these cities in the past 48 hours,” the newspaper quoted an Ixigo spokesperson as saying.

The spread of China-originated deadly virus has also taken a toll on other domestic industries as well as manufacturers scramble to get the supply chain in order. India imports key raw ingredients from China and these supplies are drying up due as Chinese economy remains shut. “All exports have been completely stopped and it is apprehended that it may cause substantial disruption in the supply chain of the country,” trade body CAIT said in February. For particular industries such as pharma and electronics, finding an alternative to China supplies is difficult.