India has reportedly imposed counter restrictions for British nationals visiting the country with 10-day mandatory quarantine included among other measures. Quoting sources, news agency ANI reported that the measures would be effective from 4 October.
According to the report, visitors from the United Kingdom would be required to take a pre-departure Covid test within 72 hours of their travel date. From October 4, all UK nationals arriving in India from the UK, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to undertake – pre-departure Covid-19 RT-PCR test within 72 hours before travel, RT-PCR test on arrival at airport, RT-PCR test on Day 8 after arrival,” reported the news agency.
From October 4, all UK nationals arriving in India from the UK, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to undertake – pre-departure Covid-19 RT-PCR test within 72 hours before travel, RT-PCR test on arrival at airport, RT-PCR test on Day 8 after arrival: Sources
— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2021
UK nationals arriving in India from the UK will also have to undergo mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after the arrival.
The decision to impose restrictions on UK nationals visiting India comes days after India threatened to take reciprocal action in the event that the British government did not give recognition to Covishield.
Though the British government had later recognised Covishield as an approved vaccine but fully vaccinated Indians will were still required to undergo mandatory 10-day home quarantine on arrival.
The UK government has said that from 4 October, travellers would qualify as fully vaccinated if they are ‘vaccinated with a full dose of Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen vaccines from a relevant public health body in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan or the United Arab Emirates (UAE).”
The list doesn’t include India, implying that persons with both doses of Covishield would still need to undergo mandatory quarantine.
The decision to include Covishield as an approve vaccine by the British government came a day after India threatened to take reciprocal action.
Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, according to news agency ANI, had told reporters, “The non-recogition of Covishield is a discriminating policy & impacts our citizens travelling to the UK. The EAM has raised the issue strongly with the new UK foreign secretary. I am told that certain assurances have been given that this issue will be resolved.”