COVID-19 test, 10-day mandatory quarantine for UK passengers arriving in India: Report

In view of fear of new mutations of COVID-19 (SARS-CIV-2) virus spreading, fresh restrictions will be put in place for international passengers arriving from the United Kingdom, government sources told media. 

From October 4, all British citizens nationals arriving in India from the UK, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to undertake - pre-departure Covid-19 RT-PCR test within 72 hours before travel, RT-PCR test on arrival at airport, RT-PCR test on Day 8 after arrival, sources told media. 

The British nations will also have to undergo mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after the arrival.  

Under travel rules unveiled last week, fully dosed arrivals from nations such as the US, Israel and Australia will be allowed to enter England without



quarantine starting October 4. But vaccinated people from vast swathes of the world, including India, were subjected tougher restrictions, including a 10-day home isolation period.

United Kingdom government later in its revised travel advisory said that Covishield, the shot produced by AstraZeneca Plc and Oxford University, was qualified as an approved vaccine.

Earlier, the UK government did not accept people vaccinated with Covishield and considered them as unvaccinated. The need for them to go through 10-day quarantine was criticised in India.

As the UK unveiled its new travel rules some days back, there was an instant uproar over exclusion of certain vaccines on the list. The government is being slammed for refusing recognize visitors' 'vaccinated status' unless they have taken the shot in select countries.