UK To Add India On Covid-19 Travel ‘Red List’ After 103 Cases Of Indian Covid Variant Get Reported

<p><strong>London: </strong>Amid the spurt in Covid-19 cases, the United Kingdom will add India to its coronavirus &lsquo;red list&rsquo; of nations, banning all arrivals from the country.</p> <p>UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the announcement in this regard stating India will be added to England&rsquo;s travel &ldquo;red list&rdquo; from 4 a.m. on Friday, as surge testing got underway to tackle growth in cases of a coronavirus variant first discovered in the country, The Guardian reports.</p> <p>Stating that of 103 people in the UK who have so far been found to be carrying the Indian variant, the Health Secretary said the &ldquo;vast majority&rdquo; had links to international travel &ndash; suggesting at least some have been infected by community transmission.</p> <p><strong>READ</strong>: <span style="color: #e03e2d;"><strong><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://ift.tt/3swTt19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK PM Boris Johnson Cancels Visit To India Due To COVID Surge</a></strong></span></p> <p>He said the move had been taken on a &ldquo;precautionary basis&rdquo;, adding the scientists were working to see if the variant had any &ldquo;concerning characteristics&rdquo; such as being more transmissible or resistant to vaccines.</p> <p>Admitting that the &ldquo;biggest risk&rdquo; to coronavirus restrictions being eased was a &ldquo;new variant that the vaccine does not work as well against&rdquo;, Hancock said surge testing would be rolled out in a bid to &ldquo;limit the spread as much as possible&rdquo;.</p> <p><strong>READ</strong>: <span style="color: #e03e2d;"><strong><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://ift.tt/3akRsP6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi Lockdown Full Guidelines: Shops, Malls, Weekly Markets &amp; Schools Shut For 6 Days- Check What's Allowed, What's Prohibited</a></strong></span></p> <p>This comes as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his scheduled visit to India amid the surge in Covid-19 cases.</p> <p>&ldquo;In view of the worsening COVID-19 situation, it has been decided by mutual agreement that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will not visit India next week. The two sides will be holding a virtual meeting in the coming days to launch plans for a transformed India-UK relationship,&rdquo; the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement.</p>