Indian delegation self-isolates at G-7 diplomats meeting
London
THE United Kingdom insisted a meeting of top Group of Seven (G-7) diplomats in London should go ahead after India's foreign minister said he would self-isolate over possible exposure to coronavirus.
On Wednesday, the second day of the summit, the UK appeared to be pushing on through as a smiling Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was filmed welcoming fellow ministers to Lancaster House with fist bumps.
On Tuesday afternoon, according to sources, he informed fellow ministers that there had been two positive cases among the Indian delegation, but that foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was not one of them.
The news could have derailed a high-profile event that marked the G-7 debut of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
India is not a member of the G-7, though it was invited as a guest by the UK to mark the focus on Asia and the Indo-Pacific, which was also the theme of a dinner where Mr Jaishankar would have been invited but did not attend.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Diplomats are exempt from Covid-19 quarantine rules under UK rules but have had regular tests while attending the summit.
A UK official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Public Health England have determined the risk to those in the meetings is low and they do not have to self-isolate.
The official said the Indian delegation has yet to attend the G-7 at Lancaster House in London, so it does not pose a risk to the summit.
Mr Jaishankar will instead take part virtually in the sessions on Wednesday. An Indian official said that all members of the delegation were tested before departure and came back with negative results.
The entire team is now self-isolating and officials are working with the UK to assess contagion concerns.
The risk factor is especially high as India is now battling the world's worst coronavirus crisis, with hospitals and crematoriums overflowing and citizens forced to beg for oxygen on Twitter.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled a planned visit to India last month as the South Asian nation's second Covid-19 wave surged. Mr Johnson held a virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.
"I think it's very important to try to continue as much business as you can as a government," Mr Johnson told reporters when asked if going ahead with the event had been a mistake. "I will be seeing the Indian foreign minister later this afternoon and that will be a Zoom exchange, I'm given to understand."
The immediate question is what kind of contact Indian officials have had with others. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel met Mr Jaishankar, who so far during his stay has also seen counterparts from the United States, France, Canada, South Africa as well as the European Union's representative, Josep Borrell.
Down the line however, it will raise the security stakes for when leaders are meant to gather in person in Cornwall next month and how to avoid similar scares in a larger and more important setting.
The US was advised that its "stringent masking, social distancing, and daily testing protocols" would permit its delegation to carry on as planned, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. BLOOMBERG
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
