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Bangladesh removed from India’s list of ‘at-risk’ countries following emergence of Omicron variant
Bangladesh was included in the list as part of heightened measures to prevent the spread of the new variant but it was removed after Dhaka took up the matter with New Delhi
India on Tuesday removed Bangladesh from a list of “at-risk” countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in the wake of the spread of the new Omicron variant of the Coronavirus.
Bangladesh was included in the list as part of heightened measures to prevent the spread of the new variant but it was removed after Dhaka took up the matter with New Delhi, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
The Indian government has put in place several measures to prevent and control the spread of the Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa.
Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen told reporters in Dhaka that the travel restrictions had been taken up with the Indian side.
“Due to [our] request, the Indian high commission has informed [us] that Bangladesh has been removed from the red list of India,” Momen said in a message sent to reporters.
On Monday, India stepped up tests for passengers from several countries against the backdrop of global concerns over Omicron.
According to the external affairs ministry’s website, countries currently on the list of “at-risk” nations are European countries, the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.
New findings about the Omicron variant made it clear on Tuesday that the emerging threat slipped into countries before their defences were up. The Netherlands’ RIVM health institute found Omicron in samples dating from November 19 and 23, whereas the World Health Organization (WHO) said South Africa first reported the variant on November 24.
Japan and France on Tuesday reported their first cases of the new variant that has forced the world to again pinball between hopes of returning to normal and fears that the worst is yet to come.
