New Delhi:
The UK on Friday stated it is continuing to cooperate with other nations across the globe to expand recognition of COVID vaccine certification in a phased strategy.
This statement comes soon after India decided to impose reciprocal measures on British nationals below which UK nationals arriving in the nation from Britain will have to undergo mandatory quarantine at home or in the location address for 10 days soon after their arrival, sources stated.
“The UK is continuing to work on expanding the policy to countries and territories across the globe in a phased approach. We are continuing to engage with the Government of India on technical cooperation to expand UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India,” the British High Commission spokesperson stated in a statement.
The spokesperson stated the UK is open to travel and they are seeing a lot of persons going from India to the UK, be it vacationers, small business persons or students. “Over 62,500 student visas have been issued in the year ending June 2021, which is an increase of almost 30% as compared to the previous year. We want to make the process of travelling as easy as possible.”
The step came days soon after the United Kingdom announced new travel guidelines which state that Indian travellers, even these who have received each doses of the Covishield vaccine, will be deemed unvaccinated.
Sources stated that reciprocity will come into force from October 4, the similar day UK’s new travel guidelines come into impact. “New regulations will come into effect from October 4, and will be applicable to all UK nationals arriving from the UK,” a supply stated.
Sources stated that from October 4, all UK nationals arriving in India from the UK, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to undertake pre-departure COVID-19 RT-PCR test inside 72 hours just before travel, RT-PCR test on arrival at airport and RT-PCR test on Day 8 soon after arrival.
“UK nationals arriving in India from the UK will have to undergo mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after the arrival,” the supply stated.
Sources stated that authorities in Health and Civil Aviation ministries will be taking actions to implement the new measures.
India had stated last month that it will be inside its rights to take reciprocal measures against UK’s “discriminatory” move to recognise AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine but not Covishield if the challenge is not satisfactorily resolved.
Even although the new British guidelines state that AstraZeneca Covishield is amongst vaccines that qualify as authorized, India is not however on the list of 17 nations pointed out. The ‘changes to international travel rules’ state that formulations of the 4 listed vaccines, such as AstraZeneca Covishield, AstraZeneca Vaxzevria and Moderna Takeda, qualify as authorized vaccines.
()