India implements tit-for-tat Covid-19 quarantine for British passengers

Name: India reaches vaccination milestone as Covid-19 fight picks up pace in rural areas
Uploaded: 2021-10-05T06:38:42.000Z
Duration: 2 min 34 s
Description: India reaches vaccination milestone as Covid-19 fight picks up pace in rural areas

More than 160 fully vaccinated British nationals arriving in New Delhi on Monday were singled out for mandatory tests and a 10-day quarantine

The rules mirror those put in place by London for fully inoculated Indians – even though most of the country has been jabbed with British-developed Covishield

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Most Indians have been inoculated with Covishield, a locally developed version of the same vaccine developed by British-headquartered firm AstraZeneca. Photo: AP

Amrit Dhillon

Published: 2:38pm, 5 Oct 2021Updated: 9:09pm, 5 Oct 2021

On Monday, as three flights from the UK arrived in New Delhi carrying 500 passengers, 162 British nationals were singled out and asked to form a separate queue for a mandatory 10-day quarantine, at home or a place of their choosing – even though they are fully vaccinated.

The passengers had been caught up in India’s tit-for-tat policy against Britain’s rules demanding 10 days of quarantine for fully inoculated Indian nationals entering the UK – a restriction New Delhi believes is discriminatory.

The Indian government on Friday announced that travellers from Britain would also undergo three Covid-19 tests: 72 hours before the date of travel, on arrival at the airport, and eight days after entering the country.

These rules mirror the UK’s regulations for Indians – which do not apply to vaccinated travellers from other countries.

“Considering the trajectory of Covid-19 cases in the United Kingdom and the presence of all four variants of concern, the travel advisory as issued by this ministry is being modified,” the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement.

New Delhi’s retaliation was expected. Many Indians were flummoxed by what they saw as a racist rule, particularly as the jab most Indians have received, Covishield, is a locally developed version of the same vaccine developed by British-headquartered firm AstraZeneca.

02:34

India reaches vaccination milestone as Covid-19 fight picks up pace in rural areas

When India protested the rule, talks between the two sides last week led to the UK recognising Covishield as a vaccine, but still refusing to regard Indians who had received both doses as fully inoculated.

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