India imposes COVID-19 restrictions on British nationals in retaliation

In response to similar measures imposed on Indian nationals, India has imposed retaliatory COVID-19 restrictions on British nationals, including a 10-day mandatory quarantine.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, India’s Foreign Secretary, slammed Britain’s refusal to recognize the Indian version of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Covishield.

He had threatened retaliatory measures if London did not reconsider.

“All British arrivals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure, a second test upon arrival, and a third test eight days later, beginning Monday.”

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“A mandatory quarantine period of ten days will also be enforced,” according to a foreign ministry official.

Last month, the British government announced that fully vaccinated travelers would be allowed to skip quarantine and take fewer tests, but only if they were vaccinated under American, British, or European programs, or if they were authorized by an approved health body.

More than a dozen Asian, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern countries were included in the list, but India’s program was not. In the same way, no program on the African continent was approved.

The vast majority of Indians have been immunizing with AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India. Others have received COVAXIN, an Indian-made vaccine that is not used in the United Kingdom.

After freezing exports due to a spike in domestic infections, India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, announced earlier this week that it would resume donations of surplus coronavirus vaccines.

Concerns have been raised that Britain’s refusal to accept certain vaccine certificates will exacerbate vaccine hesitancy.

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Countries that received hundreds of thousands of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the British government were left perplexed as to why their vaccination programs were deemed insufficient by the vaccine’s manufacturer.

Britain is one of the worst performers in the COVAX program, which sees developed countries redistribute vaccines to developing nations.