In addition to the UK, which has placed India in the ‘red list’, many other countries have announced restrictions on travel to and from India
New Delhi, April 23 (KMS): With the unprecedented rise in India’s COVID-19 numbers, a number of countries have banned travel to and from India or have curtailed it in some form or the other.
The following is a list of countries that have issued orders on travel from India. This list will be updated as more news comes in.
United Kingdom
The UK has included India in its “red list” which imposes a ban on entry to the country for all except British or Irish residents. India will be included in the list from 4 am local time on Friday.
The ban means that those with valid residency rights returning to the UK after the deadline on Friday face the additional financial burden of compulsory hotel quarantine and tests costs, estimated at around 2,000 pounds per person.
Britain’s Heathrow Airport has refused to allow extra flights from India in the meantime, citing concerns about queues at passport control, the BBC reported on Thursday.
Four carriers had requested to operate an additional eight flights from India as travellers seek to fly before the new rule comes into effect. Currently, 30 flights a week are operating between the UK and India.
India’s addition to the travel “red list” was announced in the House of Commons on Monday, April 19, amid 103 cases recorded in the UK of a new variant of coronavirus first detected in India.
Unites States
The US has not banned travel to and from India but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an advisory noting that even people fully vaccinated run the risk of contracting and spreading the disease in India.
“We are tracking the course of the COVID outbreak in India very closely,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
Responding to a question, he said, Secretary of State Tony Blinken and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar discussed the issue during a phone call on Monday, April 19.
“Whether it’s India or any other country, we are committed to doing what we can both at present and going forward to see to it that this virus is brought under control,” he said.
France
France imposed new entry restrictions on travellers from India. For has also enforced a 10-day quarantine rule for travellers arriving from India.
Australia
The Australian Cabinet has decided to place restrictions on travel to and from India. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that it will stop almost one-third of flights coming from India, The Guardian has reported.
“Travellers from high-risk countries, including India, will be required to have a PCR Covid-19 test 72 hours prior to leaving the last port they are in before travelling to Australia,” the report says.
Singapore
Singapore announced that travellers from India will have to serve an additional seven days Stay-at-Home Notice apart from the usual mandatory 14 days quarantine at a dedicated facility due to the steep rise in the coronavirus cases and the emergence of new virus strain in the country.
The announcement by the Ministry of Health came as the entry approvals for non-Singapore citizens and non-permanent residents are being reduced with immediate effect.
From 11.59 pm on Thursday, all travellers from India whad been made to serve an additional seven-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) at their place of residence, following the usual 14-day SHN at a dedicated facility, a statement by the Singapore’s Ministry of Health was quoted as saying in a report of The Straits Times.
Hong Kong
The Hong Kong government as early as Sunday, April 18, activated an “emergency circuit breaker,” according to India Today, and banned passenger flights from India for 14 days, starting April 20.
Oman
Oman has announced a complete ban on incoming travellers from India, from April 24 onwards. Travellers who have entered these countries in the last two weeks will not be allowed in either.
Pakistan
Pakistan has also imposed a ban on travellers from India for the next two weeks. The ban came into effect on Monday, April 19.