India’s Super Rich Scramble Private Jets Ahead Of UK “Red List”

Eight private jets carrying India’s super-rich landed in London Friday morning ahead of the UK adding the country to its “red list” of pandemic-stricken countries, according to the British daily newspaper The Times.

Flight data showed the last private jet to land was a Bombardier Global 6000 from Mumbai. The plane’s cabin, which can hold up to 17 passengers, landed 44 minutes before the UK slapped India with travel restrictions. 

As of 0400 Friday local time, UK citizens returning from India were required by the government to quarantine for ten days, while non-citizens were banned from entering the country if they visited India in the previous ten days. 

The strict travel restrictions placed on India come as the country reported more than 2,000 COVID-19-linked deaths in a single day this week as a brutal resurgence forced crematoriums to work overtime. 

India’s “second wave” of COVID-19 proves even more dangerous than its first as the deadly virus quickly spreads through the country. India’s buckling healthcare system can barely support the rise in new infections. 

The death toll currently stands at 187,000. But some experts suspect India’s actual deaths are far more than the official number, in part because crematoriums in various parts of the country have been running so long that some of the metal parts essential to their function have started to melt.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Tuesday, acknowledging the country’s “very big battle” against the virus. Parts of the country have been forced into lockdowns to mitigate spreading. The government has been stung by criticism that it has failed the people. 

For what happens next, the super-rich aren’t sticking around to find out what happens next. The country is fighting multiple battles, including the virus pandemic, social unrest among farmers, and rapid food inflation.