The United Kingdom (UK) has eased travel restrictions related to COVID-19 for India which has moved the country from its “red” to “amber” list. This means that fully vaccinated flyers from India will no longer be subject to mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine.
The UK on Wednesday updated its latest travel update related to COVID for certain countries which came into force on 8 August. According to the British traffic light for international travel, returning from countries on the “amber” list means a 10-day quarantine at home. The announcement came as a relief to the Indian diaspora in the UK, which called for easing travel rules between India and Britain.
“The UAE, Qatar, India and Bahrain will be moved from the red list to the yellow. All changes take effect on August 8 at 4am,” the British transport minister wrote on Twitter.
“While it’s okay to continue the cautious approach, the great news is to open more destinations for people who want to connect with family, friends and businesses around the world, all thanks to our successful vaccination program in the country,” he said.
According to the legal rules for the countries on the yellow list, passengers must take the COVID-19 test three days before departure and book in advance two COVID tests to be performed on arrival in England, as well as fill in the passenger finding form on arrival.
Upon arrival in England, passengers must be quarantined at home or at a place they have confirmed as their location for 10 days and take the COVID-19 test on the second day or before, and on the eighth or after the eighth day.
Under-18s and those fully vaccinated in the UK are exempt from house quarantine, as are those who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union and the United States.
Also read: The UK is adding India to the COVID-19 red travel list amid new case variants
Excluded are those “fully vaccinated in the UK or as part of a UK vaccination program abroad; under the age of 18 you come to England on a daily basis and reside in the UK or in a country with a vaccination program approved by the UK and part of the UK – approved vaccine trial “.
Covishield, an Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine produced in India, is likely to be covered by this exception.
The update of the travel list followed with the announcement that the costs for solo travelers from destinations that are still on the red list and who are staying in a quarantined hotel from August 12 will rise from 1,750 GBP to 2,285 GBP.
The fee for an additional adult in the room will increase from GBP 650 to GBP 1,430.
According to the government, this should “better reflect the increased costs”. Meanwhile, seven countries are moving to the green list – Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania and Norway – and France has been moved from the “amber list”.
For countries on the green list, people will not have to be quarantined when returning from these nations, regardless of their vaccination status, although they will have to pass a test before departure and another two days after arrival. Four countries will be put on the red list: Mexico, Georgia, La Reunion and Mayotte.
(With PTI inputs.)
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