Government of India on Monday announced that it will temporarily ban flights from the UK to the country after the emergence of a new and highly infectious strain of the coronavirus in Britain.
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“Considering the prevailing situation in the UK, Indian govt has decided that all flights originating from the UK to India shall be temporarily suspended till 11:59 pm, 31st December. This suspension to start w.e.f. 11.59 pm, 22nd December,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation tweeted.
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
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On December 19, the British government had alerted the World Health Organisation about a new variant of the coronavirus that the Prime Minister said maybe “up to 70 per cent” more transmissible than earlier strains.
The new strain – now officially named VUI-202012/01 – showed a “substantial increase in transmissibility”.
Over 60 per cent of new infections in London were now accounted for by the new variant.
WATCH|
Several countries have banned flights from the UK over fears about a new coronavirus variant that has forced millions of people in Britain to cancel their Christmas plans.
WHO has also advised all its members in Europe to step up measures against coronavirus.
(With inputs from agencies)
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