London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Covid-19: India added to coronavirus ‘red list’ for travel

Covid-19: India added to coronavirus ‘red list’ for travel

India has been added to a “red list” of countries from which most travel to the UK is banned, over fears of a new Covid variant, the health secretary has said.

From 04:00 BST on Friday 23 April, most people who have travelled from India in the last 10 days will be refused entry.

British or Irish passport holders, or people with UK residence rights, will be allowed in but must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.

Matt Hancock said there had been 103 UK cases of the India variant.

In a statement to the House of Commons on Monday, the health secretary said the vast majority of the cases of the new variant - officially known as B.1.617 - had been linked to international travel.

He said test samples had been analysed to see if the new variant had any "concerning characteristics" such as greater transmissibility or resistance to treatments and vaccines.

He told MPs: "After studying the data, and on a precautionary basis, we've made the difficult but vital decision to add India to the red list."


Health officials say this new variant, first identified in India, has some worrying genetic changes that need exploring.

It's still too soon to say if it is more contagious, deadly and will evade vaccines - and whether it should join the Variant of Concern list that the South Africa, Kent and Brazil variants belong to.

Assessments are ongoing, and in the meantime the government is looking to stop more cases arriving and spreading in the country.

That's why the government is also stepping up surge testing to quickly find any new cases in the UK and is introducing a speedy new type of lab test that can show within hours if someone is positive for Covid - and if the infection they have is one of the known variants, including this new one from India.

It should mean people can isolate faster to prevent giving it to their friends, families, neighbours and colleagues.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted the move was made to ensure the UK did not lose its "hard-won progress on the vaccine rollout".

A briefing document drawn up by officials at Public Health England shows that between 25 March and 7 April, 3,345 arrivals from India were registered in UK border travel data. Of those 161 - or 4.8% - tested positive for Covid-19 after a PCR test.

The new travel rule applies to England and Scotland. There are currently no direct international flights into Wales or Northern Ireland.

Scotland's Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: "International travel will continue to remain a significant risk, requiring a cautious approach, on a four-nation basis."

Mr Hancock said there had also been 557 cases of the South Africa variant found in the UK since December, with a "cluster" of cases in south London and isolated cases in Barnet, Birmingham and Sandwell over the last week.

While around two-thirds were related to international travel, there had been a "small amount" of community transmission, he added.

He said the government was "ramping up" plans for a booster shot to ensure vaccines stayed "ahead of the virus".


It was less than four months ago that India banned flights from the UK to stop the spread of the UK variant.

Now, as the so-called 'Indian variant' is investigated, and case numbers there climb, the reverse has happened.

It shows how quickly dynamics between countries can change.

When the Westminster government last added countries to the red list, including Bangladesh and Pakistan, at the start of April, it gave a week's notice. This time it's just over three days.

Direct flights to and from India are already limited - a decision made by the Indian government in January - to 30 a week, meaning that many will now be rushing to book the last few seats before Friday.

The travel industry is still hoping that international travel from England will restart on 17 May, but today's announcement underlines that it will be a while until the world is open to us.

The list of countries on the banned list is getting longer rather than shorter.

Responding to a question from shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, Mr Hancock said that surge Covid testing would happen in areas where cases of the India variant had been identified.

Labour's Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Home Affairs Committee, questioned why India was not put on the red list sooner, adding: "Hong Kong this week have identified 47 Covid cases just on a single Delhi flight and we have still 16 more direct flights, many more indirect flights from India to here, before Friday alone."

Mr Hancock responded by saying that decisions on each country were "kept under constant review".

The announcement came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled a planned trip to India, which had been due to take place on 26 April, amid rising cases there.

India has been reporting more than 200,000 cases daily since 15 April. Its capital Delhi has announced a week-long lockdown after a record spike in cases overwhelmed the city's healthcare system.

It comes as the UK recorded four deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, according to the latest government figures.

It is the lowest daily figure since 7 September, although the number of deaths recorded on Monday and over the weekend tend to be lower because of reporting delays.

The data also showed there were also 2,963 new infections. Meanwhile, more than 10m people in the UK received a second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and nearly 33 million people have had their first dose.

How does hotel quarantine work?

All travellers returning to the UK must fill out a passenger locator form in advance, including details of their departure country and UK address.

They must also show proof of a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours before travelling to be allowed entry to the UK.

In England, a stay in a quarantine hotel costs £1,750 per passenger travelling alone to cover transport, tests, food and accommodation.

Every additional adult, or child over 12, must pay £650, while children aged five to 12 pay £325.

Returning travellers must take a Covid test on days two and eight of quarantine, at a cost of £210.

A negative test result does not mean they can shorten their time in quarantine, but if they test positive, they must self-isolate for a further 10 days.

Neither will they be able to end it early through the Test to Release scheme, where travellers from non-red list countries can leave home isolation after a negative test on day five.

Rule-breakers face strict penalties - including prison sentences of up to 10 years.



Matt Hancock says putting India on the "red list" for travel was a "difficult but vital decision"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
×