UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson not coming to India for Republic Day

UK PM Boris Johnson referred to as PM Modi and regretted that he must cancel his go to to India due to the intense Corona Virus associated state of affairs within the UK.

Johnson was invited to participate within the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 as a chief visitor.

“The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to precise his remorse that he shall be unable to go to India later this month as deliberate,” a Downing Road spokesperson mentioned.“In gentle of the nationwide lockdown introduced final night time, and the velocity at which the brand new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister mentioned that it was vital for him to stay within the UK so he can give attention to the home response to the virus,” Johnson informed PM Modi.

Final month, the federal government had introduced Johnson’s intention to go to India as a part of efforts to hurry up talks on commerce, with Britain seeking new bilateral offers after leaving the European Union.

However Britain’s COVID-19 disaster has since worsened with surging instances and hospital admissions at a brand new excessive, fuelled by the unfold of a extra transmissible variant of the virus. 

“The prime minister mentioned that he hopes to have the ability to go to India within the first half of 2021, and forward of the UK`s G7 Summit that Prime Minister Modi is because of attend as a visitor,” the spokeswoman mentioned.

Johnson had on Monday ordered England into a brand new nationwide lockdown to include a surge in COVID-19 instances that threatens to overwhelm elements of the well being system earlier than a vaccine programme reaches a essential mass.

The announcement got here simply hours after the federal government hailed Britain’s success in turning into the primary nation to start rolling out the vaccine developed by Oxford College and AstraZeneca towards COVID-19.

Johnson mentioned a brand new, extra contagious variant of the coronavirus first recognized in the UK and now current in lots of different international locations was spreading at nice velocity and instant motion was wanted to gradual it down.

“As I communicate to you tonight, our hospitals are underneath extra stress from COVID than any time for the reason that begin of the pandemic,” Johnson mentioned in a televised handle to the nation.

“With a lot of the nation already underneath excessive measures, it is clear that we have to do extra collectively to carry this new variant underneath management,” he mentioned.

“We should subsequently go right into a nationwide lockdown, which is hard sufficient to include this variant. Meaning the federal government is as soon as once more instructing you to remain at dwelling.”

Non-essential outlets and hospitality must stay closed, whereas major and secondary faculties would shut from Tuesday for all pupils besides susceptible kids and people whose dad and mom are key staff.

(With Reuters inputs)