New Variant Spreads, UK Puts India On 'Red List'

JAKARTA - British authorities decided to add India to the travel 'red list' on Friday, after detecting 10 cases of the first identified coronavirus variant in the country.

This announcement was made directly by British Health Minister Matt Hancock on Monday, January 19 local time. The Indian variant is said to be easier to spread and can avoid the COVID-19 vaccine.

"We have made a difficult but important decision to add India to the Red List. This means anyone who is not a resident of the UK or Ireland or a British citizen cannot enter Britain if they have been in India in the previous 10 days," Hancock told reporters in British Parliament, as reported by Reuters.

"British and Irish residents, as well as British citizens who have been in India in the past 10 days prior to arrival, must complete the hotel quarantine for 10 days from arrival," he added.

The rules took effect at 4 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Friday 23 April, Hancock added.

The measure was taken as a precautionary measure while the variant first identified in India was being researched. Asked whether a vaccine launched in the UK worked against the variant, Hancock said he could not provide that assurance but was looking for answers as quickly as possible.

"The heart of my concern about the variant first discovered in India is that vaccines may be less effective in terms of transmission and/or in terms of reducing hospitalizations and deaths," he said.

"This is the same concern we have with the variant that was first found in South Africa. And it is the main reason why we took the decision today," he concluded.