New Delhi has made it mandatory for all British citizens arriving in India to go through a 10-day quarantine from Monday onwards, irrespective of vaccination status, in much the same way that Indian citizens have to go through on landing in the UK.

The order has been issued by the Ministry of Health in a retaliatory move as the UK has refused to allow even fully vaccinated Indians enter the country without going through quarantine. The UK’s move was seen as discriminatory as it was recognising the vaccination certificates of advanced countries such as the USA and Europe and citizens of these countries did not have to go through the 10-day quarantine.

Under the new rules that kick in from October 4, all UK nationals arriving in India, irrespective of their vaccination status will have to undergo a 10-day quarantine. They will have to undertake three COVID-19 RT-PCR tests – within 72 hours before travel, on arrival at the airport, and on Day 8 after arrival, and mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for 10 days after arrival in India, the health ministry order states.

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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had also taken up the issue with his British counterpart but the issue was not resolved.  He had tweeted about discussing the matter with the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.  "Urged early resolution of the quarantine issue in mutual interest," Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a tweet.

India has made it clear to Britain that London’s decision to not recognise Covishield as a legitimate anti-Covid vaccine is "discriminatory" and it is within New Delhi’s "right to take reciprocal measures" if the matter is not resolved, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had said after the discussion.