The UK’s updated Covid-19 travel guidelines spot Indians inoculated with Covishield in the ‘unvaccinated’ category. While the nation has relaxed the regulations for these with two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, the similar version getting manufactured in India Serum Institute of India has been left off the list.
UK travel guidelines now
The existing method in spot in the UK designates nations as ‘red’, ‘green’, and ‘amber’. If a particular person has been in a nation in the ‘red list’ in the 10 days prior to arriving in the UK, they have to undergo 10-day institutional quarantine take a Covid-19 test on or ahead of the second day or following the eighth day of quarantine. Even folks who have completed vaccinatation are necessary to comply with the guidelines. Quarantine guidelines violations attract a £10,000 penalty, though arriving in the nation devoid of a damaging test can lead to a £5,000 fine.
At present, India is in the ‘amber list’. According to the existing travel guidelines, if a particular person has been in a nation in the ‘amber list’ in the 10 days prior to their arrival in England, they have to undergo a Covid-19 test inside a maximum of 72 hours ahead of travelling to England. If a traveller arrives in England devoid of a damaging Covid-19 test, there is a £500 fine. Following arrival, the visitor will have to undertake a Covid-19 test on the second day.
The pre-departure test is mandatory for completely vaccinated flyers as properly. However, they are exempt from institutional quarantine if they have completed the complete course of a UK ‘authorised’ vaccine. The country’s ‘authorised’ vaccines involve two doses of the Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccine (the final dose should be administered at least 14 days ahead of arrival), or a dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
If travellers arriving from amber list nations are not completely vaccinated with an authorised vaccine, they have to undergo quarantine at home or exactly where they are staying take a Covid-19 test on or ahead of the second day. They will then have to undergo a further test on or following the eighth day. If a traveller tests positive, the whole household should undergo a 10-day quarantine. If a traveller’s samples throw up a ‘variant of concern’, all their contacts would be asked to submit themselves for a test.
Travellers from nations in the ‘green list’ will will need to take a Covid-19 test 3 days prior to their arrival in England and book a test on the second day following arriving. The UK exempts travellers from green list nations from quarantine unless they test positive on day two.
The new guidelines
From October 4, the UK will have only one list of nations — red. For travel from non-red list nations, the guidelines will differ based on the traveller’s vaccination status.
Travellers from India
The UK recognises the complete course of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Janssen, or Moderna vaccines from relevant public well being bodies in Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Canada, Brunei, Israel, Dominica, Kuwait, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Korea Singapore, or Taiwan. It even permits mixing of two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, and Moderna vaccines.
Although India predominantly utilizes Covishield for vaccination, a version of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, it has been kept off the list.
Covishield exclusion
The exclusion of Covishield, the similar vaccine created by Oxford/AstraZeneca, indicates Indians inoculated with the jab would have to undergo a pre-flight test inside 72 hours ahead of travelling to England spend for two more tests in England and devote 10 days in home quarantine.
Indian travellers can finish the quarantine ahead of 10 if they can stump up the money for a private test via the UK’s ‘test to release’ scheme.
What next
Government sources told The Indian Express that they had been taking resort to the reciprocity principle. A ‘note verbale’ stating that UK citizens would also have to undergo a 10-day quarantine on arrival has currently been sent to the UK Embassy.