'Continuing to engage' with India on vaccine certification: UK responds to reciprocal measures

After India's decision to enforce reciprocal measures in response to the United Kingdom's (UK) "discriminatory" international travel rules, the British High Commission has stated that the country is "continuing to engage" with New Delhi to expand its recognition of the COVID-19 vaccine certification. This statement comes after India introduced reciprocal measures in response to UK's "discriminatory" international travel norms.

The row between India and UK over travel norms stems from the Indian government's efforts to get the UK to recognise Covishield as a legitimate vaccine after the UK had made quarantine and negative COVID-19 test mandatory for travellers from India.

"We are continuing to engage with the Government of India on technical cooperation to expand UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India," a spokesperson for the British High Commission told ANI, hours after India announced 10-day mandatory quarantine for UK citizens travelling to the country.

From October 4 onwards, UK nationals arriving in India from Britain will have to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine. The travellers can either undergo the quarantine at home or at the destination address for 10 days post-arrival in the country.

Moreover, all passengers from the UK to India will also have to undergo a mandatory RT-PCR test and carry the (COVID-19) negative report before travelling to the country and take a similar test on the eighth day of quarantine.

India-UK Travel Row

Earlier, in the last week of September, the UK government had announced changes in its travel and quarantine rules. As per the new norms, fully vaccinated Indians were considered "unvaccinated" and had to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine upon arrival in the country.

The UK did not include India in the list of 18 countries whose vaccines it had approved. This resulted in fully vaccinated travellers from India being made to follow rules set out for "non-vaccinated" passengers.

What this meant was that despite the Serum Institute's Covishield COVID-19 vaccine being recognised within the UK's eligible vaccine formulations, the country would not offer an advantage to Covishield-vaccinated Indian travellers planning a UK visit.

Travellers who are not fully vaccinated or fully vaccinated in a country such as India currently have to undergo 10-day mandatory quarantine upon arrival in the UK. They are also required to take a pre-departure COVID-19 test.

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