The British government has added India to its travel ban list, amid rising cases of coronavirus in the country and the emergence of a new variant that scientists fear is partially resistant to vaccines.
Under the new rules, which take effect at 4pm UK time on Friday, anyone who is not a British or Irish citizen, or has British residency, will be denied entry to Britain if they have been in India for the past ten days.
The ban is necessary to ‘protect the progress we have made in this country in tackling this terrible disease’, Health Minister Matt Hancock told the House of Commons on Monday.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier canceled a visit to India, scheduled for next week, during which he would meet his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi. Coronavirus cases hit a record in India over the weekend, fueled by the emergence of a new variant.
Investigation
Hancock said health authorities have so far identified 103 cases of the variant in the UK, the ‘vast majority’ associated with international travel. Samples are analyzed for any “regarding characteristics”, he said.
Researchers are investigating how transmissible the variant is, as well as its possible ability to evade vaccines. Officials still call it a “variant under investigation” rather than one that is “worrying”, and in the UK surge tests are being conducted to try to limit its spread.
Asked whether vaccines are effective against the new variant, Hancock told lawmakers: “We simply do not know. We act on a precautionary basis. He said the biggest concern was that “the vaccines may be less effective in terms of transmission and / or the reduction of hospitalization and death.”
India is one of the world’s largest markets for air travel and has strong ties with the British population dating back to the British colonial era. The country in South Asia has generally fared well in keeping infection rates until recently.
Case Surge
It now has the world’s fastest growing Covid-19 case load, which added 273,810 new infections and 1,619 deaths on Monday, leaving it only the U.S. in terms of total numbers.
“India is a country that I know well and that I like,” Hancock said. “Between our two countries, we have ties between friendship and family. I understand the impact of this decision, but I hope the House will agree that we must act. ‘
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To add India to the so-called red list means that any British citizen who does return to the United Kingdom, in a government-approved hotel for 10 days, which can cost up to $ 1,750 pounds ($ 2,450).
The UK decision follows similar action by Hong Kong, which banned flights from India for 14 days from April 20 after dozens of New Delhi passengers tested positive for Covid-19 in Hong Kong, India’s Press Trust. Saturday reported.
Transportation companies, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd., Air India and Vistara of India, currently operate services between cities in India and the United Kingdom
Red List
The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines are among the countries on the United Kingdom’s red list. While travel from the UK is currently banned for most people until at least May 17 under the country’s lock-in rules, flights have continued for those exempt from the rules.
Earlier Monday, Johnson told broadcasters it made “sense” to postpone his trip to India, given the form of the pandemic there. “He said he intends to speak to Modi virtually and hopes to attend the Group of Seven summit of world leaders in the UK in June.
While Johnson’s predecessor, former Prime Minister David Cameron, pursued a strategy of increased trade ties with both India and China, relations with Beijing have soured over the past few months, placing diplomacy with New Delhi at the heart of Britain’s plans.
(Updates with Hancock comment in the seventh paragraph)