LONDON – Britain yesterday imposed its strictest travel curbs on India after an explosion of coronavirus cases there, hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson called off a trip to New Delhi.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said effective from 0300 GMT on Friday, India is being added to Britain’s “red list” of countries, banning all arrivals from India except for United Kingdom or Irish nationals.
Those nationals, along with foreigners who live in the UK, must pay hefty amounts to stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel for 10 days following their return from red-list nations, which include Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“We’ve made a difficult but vital decision to add India to the red list,” Hancock told Parliament after the government faced days of criticism for holding off the decision, pending Johnson’s trip.
The decision is in light of surging case numbers and the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant in India, the health minister said, after New Delhi entered a week-long lockdown.
In the event, the UK and Indian governments earlier yesterday called off Johnson’s visit, set for next week, after already being postponed in January.
It would have been Johnson’s first major foreign visit since he took office in 2019.
“In the light of the current Covid-19 situation, Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week,” the two governments said in a joint statement.
They said Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will instead speak later this month “to agree and launch their ambitious plans for the future partnership between the UK and India”.
“They will remain in regular contact beyond this, and look forward to meeting in person later this year.” – AFP, April 20, 2021
