Last week, the United Kingdom removed India from the Red List and put it on the Amber List in its Traffic Lights System. It is a system that has been developed by the UK government to monitor other countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic and determine which countries are safe to travel to and from which country they will allow visitors. Here's all you need to know about this system.
What are different lists in the UK?
Called the UK Traffic Lights System, the lists are categorised as Red, Amber and Green. According to the UK government's notification, countries on the Red List face the strictest regulations. Only UK citizens will be allowed to travel to the country from the nations on the Red List. However, hotel quarantine for 10 days is mandatory for such passengers and they have to take several COVID tests, including one before travelling to the UK.
Citizens of the countries on the Amber List can travel to UK but they need three COVID tests and mandatory home quarantine for 10 days. The first COVID test has to be done at least 72 hours before departing from the origin country. The second one after arriving in the UK while a third one is to be done eight days later. However, fully vaccinated individuals from the USA and some other countries in Europe don't need to quarantine or take the third test.
Those on the Green List, don't have to go under mandatory quarantine unless they test positive. People travelling to the UK need to take a test before travel and two days after reaching the UK.
What does it mean for Indian travellers?
India, which was put on the Red List during the second wave, is now on the Amber List. As stated above, Indian travellers need to take three tests and go under home quarantine. Since neither of India's vaccines is recognised in the UK, the option to bypass the quarantine and the third test is not available to Indians.
Which other countries are on the Amber List?
Besides India, Qatar, UAE and Bahrain were also moved to the Amber List and the changes came into effect on Sunday, August 8 at 4 am (GST). Other countries already on the list, include the USA, Canada, France, China, Japan, Russia, Mexico, Italy, among several others.
However, most of India's neighbours like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka still remain on the Red List.
