New Delhi (NVI): India today suspended all international flights from the United Kingdom till December 31 amid concerns over the spread of a new coronavirus strain in England.
Taking to Twitter, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said, “Considering the prevailing situation in UK, Govt. of India has decided that all flights originating from UK to India to be suspended till 31st December 2020 (23.59 hours).”
This suspension to start w.e.f. 23.59 hours, 22nd December 2020. Consequently flights from India to UK shall stand temporarily suspended during above said period.
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) December 21, 2020
This suspension will start after 11.59 PM of December 22 and consequently flights from India to the UK shall also stand temporarily suspended during above said period, it added.
Meanwhile, every passenger arriving from the UK before December 22 will be subject to a mandatory RT-PCR COVID-19 test on arrival at Indian airports.
“As a measure of abundant precaution, passengers arriving from UK in all transit flights (flights that have taken off or flights which are reaching India before 22nd Dec at 23.59 hrs) should be subject to mandatory RT-PCR test on arrival at the airports concerned,” the ministry said in another tweet.
As a measure of abundant precaution, passengers arriving from UK in all transit flights (flights that have taken off or flights which are reaching India before 22nd Dec at 23.59 hrs) should be subject to mandatory RT-PCR test on arrival at the airports concerned.
— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) December 21, 2020
The decision comes after several countries including France, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, Turkey and Iran have temporarily suspended flights from the UK a day after the country ordered a lockdown in London and surrounding areas.
Other countries and territories to announce restrictions on UK travel include Hong Kong, Iran, Croatia, Argentina, Chile, Morocco and Kuwait.
The new variant of coronavirus spreading at a much faster pace in parts of England is believed to be 70 per cent more infectious.
Earlier today, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan also said the government was on alert about the new strain of coronavirus that has emerged in the UK and asked people not to panic.
-RJV
