EU: Draconian Restrictions on Travel from India To Contain Spread of Lethal Covid-19 Strain

The Commission calls on EU Member States to take coordinated action to further restrict travel from India on a temporary basis, with a view to limiting the spread of the B.1.617.2 variant first detected in India.

According to the EU executive, it is important to limit to the strict minimum the categories of travellers that can travel from India for essential reasons and to subject those who may still travel from India to strict testing and quarantine arrangements.

To ensure a fully coordinated and efficient response to this variant and taking into account the deteriorating health situation in India, the Commission proposes that EU countries apply an ‘emergency brake' on non-essential travel from India.

Any restrictions on essential travel from India should be temporary and regularly reviewed. Member States should assess their effectiveness in containing the new variant.

The restrictions should not affect those travelling for compelling reasons such as for imperative family reasons or persons in need of international protection or for other humanitarian reasons.

EU citizens and long-term residents, as well as their family members, should still be able to travel to Europe.

The Commission calls on Member States to apply for those travellers additional health-related measures such as strict testing and quarantine arrangements. These measures should apply regardless of whether the travellers have been vaccinated.

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