Owing to the increase in cases in the UK that is heavily bound with the new strain of coronavirus, Delhi has announced a mandatory quarantine session for all Britain returnees as the ban gets uplifted today.
As such, passengers arriving from the UK will be made to isolate in quarantine centers for 7 days followed by home isolation for another 7 days, even if they are tested negative at the airport.
Following the completion of the 2-week suspension on UK flights, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared the means being adopted to ensure the virus variant doesn’t explore the depths of India too as its effects have forcefully sent its origin country into a full lockdown.
Around 250 passengers flew down to Delhi today morning in an Air India flight as citizens rushed into planes after the resumption of air travel.
India had restricted flights coming to and from the UK from December 23rd till December 31st but was later extended till January 7th. While India has uplifted the ban, many other countries including Spain, Germany, and France have prolonged the duration period of the suspension.
As of now, India reports 82 patients with the UK strain of coronavirus, 13 of which are Delhiites.
“To protect Delhiites from exposure to the virus from the UK, Delhi government takes important decisions. All those arriving from the UK, who test positive will be isolated in an isolation facility. Negative ones will be taken to a quarantine facility for seven days followed by 7 days home quarantine,” Arvind Kejriwal posted on Twitter.
Earlier, he had urged the central government to extend the ban on UK flights until 31st January in view of the growing fears of the strain as the situation in Britain is “extremely serious”.
“The Centre has decided to lift the ban and start UK flights. In view of the extremely serious situation in the UK, I would urge the central government to extend the ban till January 31,” Mr. Kejriwal had tweeted.
“With great difficulty, people have brought the COVID situation in control. UK’s COVID situation is very serious. Now, why lift the ban and expose our people to risk?” the Delhi chief minister questioned.
Earlier this week, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri tweeted that there will be 30 flights functioning every week till January 23rd. 15 of these will be Indian carriers while the rest will be UK ones.
According to the new set of guidelines issued by the government, UK returnees need to go through self-paid covid-19 tests at the time of arrival at the airports. A 72-hour prior completed negative test report also has to be carried by all passengers.
It further stated the compulsion of a 14-day quarantine for them. However, 2 states till now have mandated one week’s quarantine at a government isolation center followed by one week at their home. Maharashtra became the second state by recently making the same announcement.
