Boris India visit still on despite variant concerns

LONDON: Boris Johnson’s visit to India will still go ahead despite soaring coronavirus cases and fears over a variant first identified there, according to Downing Street.

The Prime Minister had already scaled down his trip to India at the end of April due to the country’s worsening coronavirus situation, but Downing Street has insisted it will still go ahead. A No 10 spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “The Prime Minister’s visit is still happening later this month.

“We have said that the programme will be slightly shorter than it will have been, and you can expect the main body of his programme to take place on Monday April 26. As you would expect, safety is obviously important and is a priority for us on this trip, which is why we will make sure that all elements of the visit are Covid-secure.”

Johnson was due to spend four days in the south Asian country at the end of the month but, following talks with Narendra Modi’s administration, the “bulk” of the meetings could be fitted into one day.