The Government of India (GoI,) on the evening of the 27th of January, extended travel bans between India and the United Kingdom.
According to the Central Government, the imposed ban would be in effect till the 14th of February.
The decision was taken after the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the 27th of January, announced the U.K., variant of the Novel Coronavirus to spread to 70 countries.
In order to control the spread of the new COVID-19 variant from the U.K., the Central Government imposed the travel restrictions.
Recently, on the 8th of January, the flight services between the two countries (India and the U.K.,) resumed.
The flight services resumed with limited capacity, only 30 flights, 15 each by Indian and UK carriers were in operation.
The first travel ban between U.K., and India was imposed on the 23rd of December 2020 till 31st of December 2020. Later, the imposed ban was extended till 7th January 2021.
The flights from India to the U.K., started on the 6th of January, while operations from the U.K., to India began on the 8th of January.
While resuming the flight services to the U.K., the Civil Aviation Ministry said the arrangements would continue until the 23rd of January.
A decision on the new arrangements would be taken after the announcement of the WHO regarding the new variant.
Soon after the WHO announced the new COVID-19 variant to be deadly and 70 % more rapid in transmission, the Civil Aviation Ministry of India immediately imposed the ban.
Meanwhile, in India the new strain of the Novel Coronavirus affected 150 people till date.
All of them have been kept in single room isolation in designated health care facilities by the respective state governments, the ministry had earlier said.
Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others.
Stay tuned for further updates.
