With the cases of the Covid-19 going down the world has started opening up for the travel related activities. The Indian government has already initiated the process of allowing the visa to the chartered tourists coming down from UK and Russia.
The UK was not allowing the travellers from India due to spike in the covid cases in India and origination of delta variant in India, but now with the mass vaccination the trend seems to have changed and the UK government finally made an announcement about allowing the entry of Indian travellers with no quarantine if fully vaccinated.
The new development will come in to the force from Monday 11th October 2021 onwards stated the Telegraph Report. The UK government has now allowed the people vaccinated with Covishield vaccine.
Covishield was not approved in the UK earlier due to certain misconceptions but now they have given the green signal to Covishield vaccinated people.
“No quarantine for India travellers to United Kingdom fully vaccinated with Covishield or another UK-approved vaccine from 11 October,” British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis tweeted
The High Commissioner to India in the UK stated on Thursday that Indians who are fully vaccinated with the Covishied or any other UK-approved vaccine will not have to undergo the quarantine period on the arrival in Britain starting from the 11th October.
“There will be no need of quarantine for India travellers coming to UK fully vaccinated with Covishield or another UK-approved vaccine from 11 October. Thanks to Indian government for close cooperation over last month,” British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis tweeted on Thursday.
It may be recalled that earlier the Indian government had responded to the UK’s quarantine rule for Indians and the citizens of the several other nations, including those vaccinated with the UK approved Covishield, by imposing the mandatory 10 day quarantine for British Citizens entering India, irrespective of their vaccination status.
The UK Government had faced an intense backlash from India and other countries for the refusal to allow the visitors in the UK unless they were vaccinated in the handful handful of select countries.
Now looking a the change in scenario the UK Government had decided to recognise all the people from other countries including India, Turkey and Ghana.
“I’m also making changes so travellers visiting England have fewer entry requirements, by recognising those with fully-vax status from 37 new countries and territories including India, Turkey and Ghana, treating them the same as UK fully vax passengers,” Britain’s Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps tweeted.
“The decision was taken after close technical cooperation between our ministries taking public health factors into account,” a British High Commission spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.
The spokesperson said the UK keeps efficacy data and information on vaccine rollout internationally under review, and has kept visa rules under constant review throughout the pandemic to keep borders open whilst gradually and safely residing travel activities.
But despite of all these the UK still keeps the reservation on the permission to allow entry into the country only to those who have taken the shots of vaccines recognised by the UK.
According to the press note released by the UK government, if the visitor is not fully vaccinated with one of the following UK-recognised vaccines, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen – or any formulation of these vaccines, including Covishield, the person must take a pre-departure test, and must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8, and self-isolate for 10 days.
The Indian foreign secretary called the above rule as highly “discriminatory” stating that “reciprocal action” cannot be ruled out.
There is still controversy on the issuance of the Covid vaccination certificates the British officials has told the Indian Media that it was not the vaccination but the issuance of the certificates but according to the CEO of India’s National Health Authority. Dr R S Sharma, the certification process in the country was centrally managed through its own CoWIN app and the portal was running with no issues “The platform is completely transparent and compliant with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.
