COVID-19 second wave: THESE countries have put travel restrictions on travellers from India

As India fights the deadly second wave of COVID-19 with with various states reporting unprecedented cases, several countries have issued advisories against travelling to India or imposed fresh travel restrictions on travellers from India.

The following countries have put travel restrictions and advisories regarding India and Indian travellers:

United States of America (USA)

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on April 19 placed India among “level 4” countries, or those with “very high” levels of Covid-19 cases. The CDC also advised American to avoid travelling to India even if they are vaccinated.

“Because of the current situation in India even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants and should avoid all travel to India,” CDC said.

United Kingdom (UK)

The United Kingdom has put India on its travel ‘red list’. If a person from India arrives in the UK before 4 am, Friday April 23 local time, they will be required to self-isolate for 10 days in the place they’re staying and take a Covid-19 test on day two and day eight.

However, from 4 am, Friday April 23, if a person has been in India in the previous 10 days, they will be allowed to enter the UK only if they are a British, Irish or third-country national with residency rights. Even in this case, they will be required to quarantine in a managed quarantine hotel. 

Hong Kong

After a mutant COVID-19 variant was detected in Hong Kong for the first time, it suspended all flights from India from April 20 for two weeks. Along with India, flights from Pakistan and Philippines were also suspended. These three countries were were classified as “extremely high risk”.

New Zealand

New Zealand PM Jacinda Jones on April 8 temporarily suspended entry of travellers from India, including its own citizens, for two weeks. 

Singapore

Singapore’s health ministry tightened COVID-19 measures for traveller from India.  After the 14-day mandatory quarantine at dedicated facilities, travellers will be required to stay at home for an additional seven days starting from April 22.

Pakistan

Pakistan on April 19 put a ban on travellers from India for two weeks. India was placed in the ‘list of Category C countries’ by the National Command and Operation Centre who said there would be a ban on inbound passengers coming from India via air and land routes.

Australia

On Thursday (April 22), Australian PM Scott Morrison announced a reduction in flights from high-risk COVID-19 nations, like India. “What we have agreed to -- and this particularly relates to the chartered services we're running into the Northern Territory -- we will be reducing by some 30 per cent the numbers coming through our chartered services in the months ahead,” he said. 

“We will also be limiting the departure exceptions for Australians travelling to high-risk countries to India,” he added.

France

New entry restrictions will be imposed on travellers from India. France had earlier announced restrictions on travellers from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and South Africa. The new guidelines will be implemented on April 24.

Dubai

On Thursday (April 22), Emirates suspended flights between Dubai and India for 10 days starting from Sunday (April 25).

Air India Express on Aprill 22 announced that all passengers travelling to Dubai from India must have a valid COVID-19 test certificate that is issued within 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample.