In view of the rising cases in India, neighbouring country Sri Lanka today announced the ban of all incoming travellers from the covid-laden nation with immediate effect.
Sri Lanka joins many other countries such as the UAE, Australia, Singapore and UK who have already suspended travellers coming from India and other South Asian countries from entering their territory due to the fear of the mutant strains of coronavirus emerging here.
Travellers from India, hence, will not be allowed to land in Sri Lanka, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority said adding that the decision has been taken seeing the rapid rise of covid-19 cases India.
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In a letter to the CEO of the national carrier Srilankan Airlines, the Director General Civil Aviation said, “In accordance with instructions received from health authorities of Sri Lanka due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, it is hereby directed that passengers travelling from India will not be permitted to disembark in Sri Lanka with immediate effect.”
With close to 2,000 new cases registering each day since the last 5 consecutive days from the 200 being found earlier in mid-April, Sri Lanka too is in a state of fear with the increasing cases.
According to health authorities, the sudden rise is due to the fast-spreading UK variant of coronavirus that entered and spread over the country during the traditional New Year festivities that took place mid-April. The surge is being called the New Year cluster.
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Sri Lanka had working as a transit centre for Indians having other destinations like West Asia and Singapore before which they required a 14-day quarantine. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority had made arrangements for the same.
Despite the terrible situation of India, the Sri Lanka tourism department was going to continue allowing Indians into their land due to the travel bubble pact between the two countries with special facilities.
This couldn’t for longer as today the Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa directed them to permit Sri Lankan migrant workers to come back to their country.
As a means to contain the covid infection, the Sri Lankan Navy told last week that they have increased north and northeastern seas surveillance to keep a tab on the chances of Indian covid infected fishermen entering the international waters and creating contact with the locals of SL.
India reported its record high single-day spike with 4,12,262 new cases and 3,980 deaths. This makes the total figure 2,10,77,410 with 2,30,168 fatalities, with oxygen, essential drugs and hospital beds shortage preparing for an increase in the numbers.
