COVID-19: UK adds Pakistan, Bangladesh along with two others to its travel 'red list'

Britain has banned the entry of people from four countries around the world and added them to its travel 'red list'. These countries include Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Only if the people coming from these countries are British or Irish nationals, will they be allowed to enter the United Kingdom. 

Those who come to Britain from countries on the red list will be refused entry while returning Britons must submit to 10 days of mandatory quarantine in hotels.

During their stay, passengers will have to take two COVID-19 tests, but a negative test result does not mean they can shorten their time in quarantine.

From 4 AM on April 9, Pakistan, Kenya, the Philippines, and Bangladesh will be put on the list, the government said, joining about three dozen other nations mainly in Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

There have been calls for the inclusion of some European countries where COVID-19 cases have surged, but the government has said it currently has no plans to do so.

Travel bans are intended to reduce the risk from new coronavirus variants like the South Africa strain, the UK Department for Transport said.

Data has shown that most cases of the South Africa coronavirus variant found in the UK so far have been linked to international travel, with very few having come from Europe.

Nearly 40 countries are currently on the UK government's red list of countries from which travel is banned.

COVID-19 tally

There have been at least 4,350,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom, according to Public Health England.

As per official data, till Friday morning 126,764 people have lost their lives due to the COVID-19 virus.

Britain has the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in Europe. 

The UK has already given more than 31 million people, or more than 45% of the population, the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

(With Reuters Inputs)