UK RELAXES COVID TRAVEL CRUBS FOR INDIA, INSTITUATIONAL QUARENTINE EXEMPTED

"The UK government has announced an update to the 'Red-Amber-Green' traffic light ratings for arrivals into England. From 4am (BST) on Sunday 8 August, India will move from the red to the amber list," the British High Commission in New Delhi said in a statement.

Apart from India, other countries shifted to the 'amber' list are -- Bahrain, Georgia, Mexico, UAE, and Qatar, and the French overseas territories of Reunion and Mayotte. Under the legal rules for countries on the amber list, passengers must undertake a Covid-19 test before and after arrival in England.

"You must take the test in the 3 days before you travel to England. On your arrival in England, you must: quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days. Also, you must take a Covid-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8," it said.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, "We are committed to opening up international travel safely, taking advantage of the gains we've made through our successful vaccination programme, helping connect families, friends and businesses around the world. While we must continue to be cautious, today's changes reopen a range of different holiday destinations across the globe, which is good news for both the sector and travelling public." However, travellers need not quarantine or take a day 8 test after arriving in England if an individual is either, "fully vaccinated in the UK or under the UK vaccine programme overseas", or "under 18 on the day you arrive in England and resident in the UK or in a country with a vaccination programme approved by the UK part of a UK-approved vaccine trial".

In April, the UK government had added India to 'red' list as the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic gripped the South Asian country. The 'red' list bars travel and mandates a compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine for returning British residents. The UK government's decision to lift India from 'red' to 'amber' comes despite the Delta variant, which was first detected in India, continues to be the dominant variant in the UK, leading to a huge spurt in cases.