The UK is adding India to its “red list” for fear of new change

London, April 19 (EFE). – The British government announced today that it has added India to the “red list” of countries at risk, which limits the arrival of travelers from that country, due to the fear of the expansion of a new variant of the Coronavirus.

British Health Minister Matt Hancock has made it clear in the House of Commons that anyone who is not a resident of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland will be denied entry if he has been in India in the 10 days prior to his arrival there. country.

Residents will be able to access the British Isles, but will be required to spend ten days in quarantine in a hotel designated by the Executive Director, a stay that costs up to £ 1,750 (€ 2,035).

Hancock warned that the United Kingdom has identified 103 cases of a new variant of SAR-CoV-2 that was first detected in India, although he stressed that “the vast majority” of these infections are related to international movements and not infections in the community. .

The minister said that samples collected are being analyzed to determine whether this alternative has “disturbing properties”, such as greater transmissibility or resistance to current vaccines.

“After studying the data, and as a precaution, we have taken the difficult and vital decision to add India to the red list,” said Hancock, who indicated that the restrictions will take effect at 0300 GMT on Saturday, April 24th.

This announcement comes hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson canceled his scheduled visit to India next week due to the dangerous epidemiological situation in the Asian country.

The flight, already postponed in January, was intended to begin laying the foundations for a future trade agreement between London and New Delhi, one of the key plans in post-Brexit trade policy.

In the UK, 43.08 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have already been injected and 10.15 million people have already received two mandatory injections.

On Monday, 2,963 new coronavirus infections and 4 deaths were reported, the lowest daily death toll since September. EFE

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