The Boris Johnson government on Tuesday highlighted the ban imposed by New Delhi on travellers from the United Kingdom from Wednesday and advised Britons against all but essential travel to the country.
Air fares for travel to India from British airports spiralled, with many seeking to reach destinations before the ban comes into effect. Economy travel tickets were reportedly costing over 1,000 pounds each.
Revising its travel advisory for India, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “The Government of India has announced that passengers from the UK (and the EU and Turkey) will be prohibited from entering India”.
“Airlines will not permit passengers from those countries to board planes from 1200 GMT on 18 March 2020. The restrictions are due to be in place until at least 31 March 2020. This does not affect British Nationals already in India who should follow the advice of local authorities”, it added.
The official advisory, which is central to business and insurance arrangements, noted the steps taken by India to deal with the coronavirus challenge.
It said: “There is an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in China, but cases have been confirmed in other countries, including in India. India has announced additional measures to limit the spread of coronavirus”.
“You should comply with any additional screening measures put in place by the authorities, which can vary state by state from outright bans to quarantines to restrictions on large gatherings”.
