After India decided to reciprocate quarantine to UK travellers, the United Kingdom has now said that Indians who are fully vaccinated with Covishield or any other UK-approved vaccine travelling will not have to undergo quarantine from Monday (11 October), British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, said on Thursday (7 October).
Ellis tweeted, “No quarantine for Indian travellers to United Kingdom fully vaccinated with Covishield or other UK-approved vaccines from October 11. Thanks to Indian government for close cooperation over last month.”
Earlier last month, a UK travel advisory had made 10-day quarantine mandatory for Indian travellers, even those who have received both doses of Covishield which is the same as the AstraZeneca manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).
However, this decision was seen as a vestige of colonialism and now from UK government has said, “Formulations of the listed vaccines — Astra Zeneca Covishield, Astra Zeneca Vaxzevira and Moderna Takeda — qualify as approved vaccines.”
However, those in India who took Covixin still needed to go for quarantine in UK as the country did not recognise the Indian vaccine certificates.
On Thursday, the UK government released a statement in which it announced the removal of 47 countries and territories from the ‘Red List’.
It also announced that from Monday (11 October), eligible travellers vaccinated in over 37 new countries and territories including Brazil, Ghana, Hong Kong and India “will also be treated the same as returning fully vaccinated UK residents, so long as they have not visited a red list country or territory in the 10 days before arriving in England”.
“The measures announced today mark the next step as we continue to open up travel and provide stability for passengers and industry while remaining on track to keep travel open for good,” Britain’s Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, tweeted.
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