‘Discriminatory’ UK quarantine policy for Indians, Centre for Disease Control says

According to the Centre, the UK vaccine policy mandating quarantine for fully vaccinated Indians is discriminatory, and the country uses vaccines made in India for its own health system. Under the new rules in the UK, Indian travelers have been considered unvaccinated when they have received both doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and must be self-isolated for 10 days.

‘The primary issue is that the company that manufactures Covishield is based in the United Kingdom. MEA has provided 5 million vaccine doses to the UK at their request. This has been used by their health system,’ the MEA stated. Moreover, the Foreign Affairs Ministry further warned that non-recognition of Covishield constitutes discrimination. The issue has been raised with EAM’s counterpart in the UK. There have been assurances that the matter will be resolved as soon as possible.

S. Jaishankar, minister of external affairs, raised the issue with his UK counterpart during a meeting on Tuesday and urged an ‘early resolution’ of the quarantine issue. ‘We have offered mutual recognition of vaccines to our partner countries. However, these are reciprocal actions’. According to the government, ‘if we don’t get satisfaction, we will be well within our rights to impose reciprocal measures’. While it is much in the country’s interest to resolve the quarantine issue as early as possible, Jaishankar said following the meeting.

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In November, the US will open air travel to Indians and other nationals who have been vaccinated. The government responded to the relaxation of travel norms by saying Indian students were granted visas and the process was streamlined. ‘We are reviewing the possibility of Indian professionals getting visas. We took it up. Travelers who are fully vaccinated would now be allowed. These are positive steps,’ the MEA said. In addition, the report noted, ‘From that perspective, we should be able to ensure that many people can benefit from the US opening up’.