COLOMBO, May 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Sri Lankan government, yesterday said, arrival of all incoming passengers into the island country would be suspended from tomorrow midnight to May 31, in order to prevent a further spread of COVID-19.
Minister of Aviation and Export Zones Development, D.V. Chanaka, said, the decision to halt all incoming passengers had been taken, at the COVID-19 taskforce meeting, held with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, last night.
Chanaka said, all international flights would be informed of the suspension and all passenger flights would be cancelled till May 31.
“This decision has been made to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the country. All passenger arrivals will be suspended for 10 days from tomorrow,” the minister said.
Sri Lanka is presently in the midst of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the rapid spread of a new variant of the virus, which has infected over 50,000 people in May alone.
According to official figures, the total number of deaths recorded in Sri Lanka reached 1,015, since the pandemic broke out in Mar, last year, while the total number of infections reached over 150,000.– NNN-AGENCIES
