Government of India has made an announcement on Monday that the Union government will temporarily ban flights from the UK to the native country due to the emergence of a new and highly infectious strain of the coronavirus in Britain.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation tweeted, "Considering the prevailing situation in the UK, Indian govt has decided that all flights originating from the UK to India shall be temporarily suspended till 11:59 pm, 31st December. This suspension to start w.e.f. 11.59 pm, 22nd December". The British government had alerted the World Health Organisation on December 19 about a new variant of the coronavirus that the Prime Minister said maybe “up to 70 per cent” more transmissible than earlier strains. The new strain now officially named 'VUI 202012/01' showed a “substantial increase in transmissibility”.
Over 60 per cent of new infections in London are due to the new variant of the virus. Several other countries have banned flights from the UK over fears about a new coronavirus variant that has forced millions of people in Britain to cancel their Christmas plans. WHO has also advised all its members in Europe to step up measures against coronavirus.
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