COLOMBO : In a major development in the quarantine regulations, Sri Lanka has lifted the mandatory quarantine for those Lankan returnees who come home after completing the two doses of WHO approved Covid vaccines.
Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella said here on Thursday during the press conference that returning Sri Lankans who are fully vaccinated with a WHO approved vaccine will be released upon an immediate negative PCR result at the airport.
The Minister said that the returning citizens will not be asked to stay at a hotel for PCR testing, as the relevant tests will be conducted by the Ministry of Health at the Bandaranaike International Airport from September 20. A fully fledged laboratory for inbound passengers will be opened shortly to issue PCR tests reports within three hours at the Colombo airport.
Earlier, Sri Lankans had to undergo a mandatory quarantine stay at a hotel for a period of two weeks at a cost of Rs200,000 borne by the passenger
Minister Rambukwella says that the former cost borne by travelers, along with the time spent in waiting for the result to come at a hotel will be scrapped with this measure.
The health minister thanked Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga and State Minister of Aviation and Investment Zone Development D V Chanaka for their support and industry in assisting him in easing the quarantine regulations.
The Government has reportedly taken these measures after local media had recently revealed a hotel quarantine racket in Sri Lanka, affecting Sri Lankans returning from overseas during the coronavirus pandemic.
The amendment to the PCR testing procedure has been made with the intervention of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
