London: Britain 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 that effective from 0300 GMT on Friday, India was being added to Britain s “red list” of countries, banning all arrivals from India except for UK or Irish nationals.
Those nationals, as well as foreigners resident in the UK, must pay hefty amounts to stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel for 10 days on their return from red list nations, which include Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“We ve made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the red list,” Hancock told parliament, after the government had faced days of criticism for holding off the decision, pending Johnson s trip.
The decision was in light of surging case numbers and the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant in India, the health minister said, after the capital New Delhi entered a week-long lockdown.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had cancelled his delayed trip to India next week, his first major foreign visit since taking power in 2019, his office said on Monday, as coronavirus cases surge in India. “In the light of the current coronavirus situation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be able to travel to India next week,” it said.
The statement added that the two countries leaders would 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,” it said.
Johnson’s office had last week announced the visit would be shortened. It was originally organised to span three days and set to begin on April 26. It had initially been scheduled for January and heralded as an opportunity for Britain to refocus its international trade policy in the wake of Brexit as it pursues a so-called “global Britain” strategy. But spiking coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths in Britain earlier this year led to its delay.
Now, surging infections in India — where officials have recorded five consecutive days of more than 200,000 cases — have led to its entire cancellation. A week-long lockdown was imposed in New Delhi from Monday night to try to contain a spike in cases that have overstretched city hospitals.
The visit was aimed at strengthening trade ties, investment and cooperation in various areas, including defence, security, health and climate change. It followed an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took part in a climate summit hosted by London earlier this year. Johnson has highlighted the two countries burgeoning trade and investment relationship, worth an estimated $32 billion annually. AFP
