(IBNS): Britain on Monday added India to its “red list” of countries, banning all arrivals from the Asian country except for UK or Irish nationals to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the order will be effective from 0300 GMT on Friday.
“India has been added to England’s travel ban red list, with effect from 4am BST Friday 23 April. This is to help prevent the spread of variants of concern and protect the most vulnerable. Important information for British nationals and others below,” the British Embassy in India tweeted.
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“If you are an Indian national without residency rights in the UK then we regret that you will not be permitted to enter England if you have departed from or transited through India in the previous 10 days,” it further said.
Seen as one of the strictest travel curbs on India, the order comes as the Asian country reported a whopping 2.73 lakh cases in a single day.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official trip to India next week has also been cancelled, the Ministry of External Affairs said earlier in the day.
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The decision comes against the backdrop of a strong Covid-19 second wave in India which has hit the south Asian country hard.
For few days, more than two lakh cases are being reported daily, prompting authorities in India to impose certain restrictions like weekend lockdowns and full curfew in the capital city-Delhi.
However, the MEA said the two sides will hold a virtual meeting in the coming days.
