Indian Embassy suspends all consular services in UK till Feb 20 amid COVID-19 restrictions

High Commission of India, UK on January 6 informed that consular services have been suspended until February 20 due to Tier 5 COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the British government to contain the spread of the new variant that doctors believe is more transmittable. In the statement shared on Twitter, India in the UK said that for any emergencies, the citizens can contact at info.london@mea.gov.in. and also asked for constant monitoring of the social media handles for further updates.

Even the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called off his visit to India ahead of his visit to India as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath amid the ongoing concern of the new strain. The British PM spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 5 morning to express his 'regret' as he would be unable to visit India and relayed the importance of the national lockdown in Britain. However, Johnson hoped that PM Modi will be able to visit India in the first half of 2021 before meeting PM Modi at the G7 meet.

Read - UK PM Boris Johnson Vows To Stop Government Funding For Fossil Fuel Projects Overseas

Read - Julian Assange Arrives In UK Court To Apply For Bail

UK Imposes Toughest Lockdown Since March

After UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed the discovery of the new COVID-19 variant  B.1.1.7 spreading drastically in the country, on January 4 he announced the toughest national lockdown since March, as the hospitalisations from the new coronavirus variant across the UK surged. Johnson asked people to stay at home saying, that the “hospitals are now under more pressure than they have been at any other point throughout the pandemic.” The national lockdown was imposed across entire England for four weeks until mid-February with the new variant was spreading in a “frustrating and alarming” manner.

The UK witnessed a record 26,626 hospitalisations as of January 4, which was a 30 per cent spike within a week, and surpassed the March-April rate of hospital admissions by 40 per cent. In an official release, the UK Prime Minister instructed citizens to remain confined at home and ordered all primary schools, secondary schools, and colleges to move to remote learning. Only essential shops such as a pharmacy were allowed to open, all public, entertainment, and recreational venues were asked to shut down as per the new rules. 

Read - Relatives And Legal Team At Assange Bail Hearing

Read - UK Court To Hear Bail Plea For WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange After Blocking Extradition