A foreign tourist wears a face mask amid fears of the spread of the COVID-19 while celebrating Holi in Pushkar on Tuesday. AFP

"All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till 15th April 2020," India's Health Ministry said in a statement.

The order will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13.

It was not clear if the ban would include short-term business visas, though the advisory said anyone with a "compelling reason" to travel to the country could contact their nearest Indian mission.

It also urged Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel abroad, in one of the most far-reaching advisories since the outbreak began in late December.

A group of students wearing protective masks walk outside a railway station amid coronavirus fears, in Kochi, India. Reuters 

Spokespeople for India's Health and Foreign Ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

On Tuesday India suspended issuing visas to citizens of France, Spain and Germany until further notice. Such restrictions were already in place for citizens of China, Italy, Iran, Japan and South Korea — the five countries worst hit by the outbreak of the virus.

India has also closed a border with neighbouring Myanmar to counter the coronavirus outbreak, as countries across South Asia reported a rise in cases on Wednesday. No cases have so far been confirmed in Myanmar.

"As a precautionary measure (to prevent) transmission of coronavirus/COVID-19, the international border with Myanmar has been closed ... until further orders," N. Biren Singh, chief minister of the northeastern state of Manipur, which shares a border with Myanmar, said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Total cases in the country rose to 68 on Wednesday, according to data from the federal heath ministry and the chief minister of Maharashtra state.

The country's southern state of Kerala, which reported three new cases over the weekend, said on Tuesday it was shutting schools and movie theatres to avoid a further outbreak. Schools in at least two more states have also been closed.

Reuters