In the face of worries about the latest strain of coronavirus recently found in the UK, flights from the United Kingdom resumed today in a restricted capacity.
On January 6, the ban on flights to the U.K. was lifted. Per week, 30 flights will be run – 15 each by Indian and UK carriers. This schedule will continue until January 23, as previously told by Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
Up to 72 hours before the flight and on arrival, passengers would have to take an RT-PCR exam.
Meanwhile, politicians, including Ashok Gehlot and Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Delhi, struck out at the Centre for the partial lifting of the ban and urged the authorities to prolong the ban.
In India, there are growing cases of the latest corona strain from Britain. The decision to restart flights from Britain after January 7 should be reconsidered by the Government of India, CM Rajasthan said.
Kejriwal asked why the ban had been lifted and urged for it to be extended till January 31.
“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? Centre has decided to lift the ban and start UK flights. In view of the extremely serious COVID situation in the UK, I would urge the central government to extend the ban till January 31,” he wrote.
According to a special surveillance study released by the central government, the cumulative number of people who tested positive for the latest UK strain of Coronavirus in India reached 75 on Thursday.
“A total 1,211 travellers from the UK have completed 28 days from their arrival in India. out of 75 people infected with UK variant of Covid-19, 33 were found in Mumbai, 14 in Pune, eight in Thane, nine in Nagpur, two each in Nashik, Aurangabad, Raigad and Buldhana, and one each in Osmanabad, Nanded and Washim,” the report said.
