India added to UK travel ‘red list’ – BBC News

The UK has added India to its travel “red list”, meaning that people returning from there will have to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.

The move comes amid a surge in cases of the coronavirus in India, with more than 400,000 new infections reported in the past 24 hours.

More than 4,000 people have died from Covid-19 in India in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to nearly 200,000.

India added to UK travel ‘red list’

The UK has added India to its travel “red list”, meaning that anyone who has been in the country in the last 10 days will not be allowed to enter the UK.

The move comes amid a rise in cases of a new variant of coronavirus in India.

Anyone who has been in India in the last 10 days will have to quarantine for 10 days on arrival in the UK.

There are currently no direct flights between the UK and India.

The UK is also advising against all but essential travel to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Kuwait, Maldives, Mexico, Oman, Panama, Qatar and Ukraine.

What this means for UK residents
The UK government has announced that India has been added to its travel “red list”, meaning that UK residents are not allowed to travel there. This is in response to the increasing number of cases of Covid-19 in India.

UK residents who are currently in India will need to return to the UK as soon as possible. Those who are not able to do so will need to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days at their own expense.

This is obviously a blow for those who were planning to travel to India, or who have loved ones there. But it is a necessary measure to protect public health. The government will be monitoring the situation closely and may amend the advice again in the future.

Why India was added to the list

On 4 January 2021, the UK government added India to its travel ‘red list’ in response to a new variant of the coronavirus that has been detected there. This means that travellers from India will not be allowed to enter the UK, and those who are already in the UK will be required to quarantine for 10 days.

The decision to add India to the red list was made after studies showed that the new variant, known as B.1.617.2, is up to 70% more transmissible than other variants. This variant has already been detected in several other countries, including the United States, Denmark and Germany.

The UK government has advised against all travel to India, and those who are already in the UK and have recently travelled from India should self-isolate for 10 days. The restrictions will come into effect at 4am on Monday 11 January 2021.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and the UK government is monitoring the situation closely. We advise all travellers to check the latest travel advice before booking any travel plans.

What restrictions are in place for travel to India

The UK government has added India to its travel “red list”, meaning that travellers from there will have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days on their return.

The move comes amid concerns about a new variant of coronavirus – first identified in India – which is thought to be more contagious than the existing strain.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the decision had been taken “based on the latest data”.

ravel to India is restricted for UK nationals and residents with immediate effect. Only those with UK repatriation rights or certain other exemptions will be allowed to enter the country, the Transport Secretary said.

Those returning from India will have to take a test before they leave and another on day two and day eight of their 10-day quarantine in a designated hotel.