British PM Boris Johnson cancels India visit amid rising COVID-19 cases

Johnson spoke to PM Narendra Modi and to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned.  

" In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus," read a statement issued by the British PM office.

"The leaders underlined their shared commitment to the bilateral relationship, and to continuing to build on the close collaboration between our countries – including in response to the pandemic," read the statement.

Prime Minister Johnson said that he hopes to be able to visit India in the first half of 2021, and ahead of the UK’s G7 Summit that Prime Minister Modi is due to attend as a guest.  

Johnson was scheduled to visit India as Chief Guest for Republic Day.

Meanwhile, UK Cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Tuesday that people in England should have to wait until March to see some of the tough COVID-19 restrictions lifted and not until mid-February as Prime Minister Boris Johnson had predicted on Monday when he announced a fresh national lockdown.  

“I think it's right to say that as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all,” Gove told Sky News broadcaster.
Upon announcing the third national lockdown on Monday evening, Johnson said it was possible the measures could be eased in mid-February as it was expected that all people in the top priority groups had been vaccinated by then.

The UK, which has recorded 2,713,563 COVID-19 cases and 75,431 deaths since the pandemic began, has seen the coronavirus infection rate rocketing over the last few weeks as a result of the highly transmissible virus strain identified in southeast England.