India's reciprocal move: Tests, 10-day quarantine mandatory for UK nationals
In a reciprocal move to the United Kingdom's COVID-19-related travel regulations for Indian visitors, the Centre has now decided to impose similar restrictions for British travelers starting October 4, reported NDTV, citing government sources. All UK nationals arriving in India must follow mandatory 10-day quarantine irrespective of their vaccination status—similar to the UK's controversial travel rules for many countries, including India. Here's more.
India's move in retaliation to UK's discriminatory, colonialist travel restrictions
Those arriving from the UK will be required to undergo multiple COVID-19 tests as well as mandatory quarantine upon arrival in India. The move is being seen as India's retaliation to the UK's travel restrictions, dubbed "discriminatory" and "colonialist," which do not recognize Indian COVID-19 vaccines and moreover, require even fully vaccinated Indian visitors to follow 10-day quarantine in the UK.
UK nationals will have to undertake three COVID-19 RT-PCR tests
"From October 4, all UK nationals arriving in India from the UK, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to undertake three COVID-19 RT-PCR tests—within 72 hours before travel, on arrival at the airport, and on Day 8 after arrival, and mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after arrival in India," sources told NDTV.
Ministries of Health, Civil Aviation directed to implement rules strictly
Interestingly, India's new travel rules will be applicable for UK travelers from October 4 (Monday), the same day that the British government's restrictions reportedly come into effect. Also, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well as the Ministry of Civil Aviation have been directed to strictly implement the new rules and make required arrangements at all international airports across the country.
Latest changes to UK's travel restrictions announced last month
To recall, the UK announced the latest changes to its rules last month—recognizing only those travelers who received vaccines in a handful of countries—following which it faced severe backlash. According to the rules, fully-inoculated visitors who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Janssen (J&J) vaccine "under an approved vaccination program in the UK, Europe, US, or UK vaccine program overseas" would be considered vaccinated.
Covishield is on UK's approved list but India is not!
While the UK reportedly included Covishield as an approved vaccine, India isn't on its list of acceptable places for inoculation—meaning those who received Covishield in India wouldn't still be considered "vaccinated." British officials earlier said the problem wasn't with the Indian version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine but rather with India's vaccination certification process—especially the Co-WIN vaccine certification app—adding talks to resolve this were ongoing.
