UK recognises Indian vaccine certificate: No quarantine for Covishield-vaccinated travellers

Mangalore Today News Network

London, Oct 08, 2021: On Thursday, UK announced that fully vaccinated Indian travellers will no longer have to quarantine on entering the country. The new rule will come into effect on October 11.

 

It is, however, only applicable for those who have been vaccinated with Covishield or any other UK-approved vaccine.

Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, posted from his official Twitter handle, "No quarantine for Indian travellers to UK [who are] fully vaccinated with Covishield or another UK-approved vaccine from 11 October. Thanks to Indian government for close cooperation over last month."

India will be added to UK’s list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination at 4 am on Monday, October 11.

Those who arrive in UK before October 11 will have to follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. On the other hand, those who arrive after October 11 can show their vaccination certificate to prove their vaccination status and avoid quarantine requirements.

QUICK RECAP

Earlier, amid a row between India and UK over the latter not recognising India’s Covishield vaccine, the UK had amended its travel rules and said that it recognises Covishield as a Covid-19 vaccine.

However, the UK government had stated then that Covishield-vaccinated Indians would still have to remain in quarantine on entering the country due to a ’certification’ issue.

In a counter-measure, India at the beginning of this month had decided to make it mandatory for UK nationals arriving from the UK to undergo a 10-day quarantine irrespective of their vaccination status. These rules came into effect on October 4. After this move, the UK said it is “continuing to engage” with New Delhi to expand its recognition of Covid-19 vaccine certification.

In September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had taken up the issue of Covishield-vaccinated travellers being required to quarantine in the UK with newly-appointed British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss at a meeting in New York. India had called the UK’s police ’discriminatory’.

It is important to note that Covishield is the Indian-made version of the UK’s AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19.

Courtesy:India Today