There have been reports that India has banned the export of personal protection equipment such as masks and clothing amid a global coronavirus outbreak.

The Indian government did not give a reason for the ban, but it reported its first case of the new coronavirus last week — a woman in the southern state of Kerala who was a student of Wuhan University in China. Presumably, India has banned the export of the protective gear to make sure such resources are available to their populace, should a large scale outbreak occur.

The central Chinese city of Wuhan is the epicenter of the outbreak, and the virus has since spread to more nearly 15,000 people globally, and has killed nearly 300 people in China.

Several Indian citizens living in Wuhan arrived in India by plane over the past weekend, and they have been taken to a quarantine center on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi.

India, the world’s second most heavily populated country after China, has taken measures to ensure that all people arriving from China report to health authorities.