Udayanga, safari drivers in bio bubble: Tourism Minister

All those who dealt with the Ukrainian tourists including Udayanga Weeratunga and safari drivers have been included in the bio bubble in order to be separated from the society, Minister of Tourism and Aviation Prasanna Ranatunga told Parliament today.

He said that the measure had been taken to prevent them from spreading COVID -19,

The Minister said that the safari drivers had not been quarantined as reported and added that they had only been put in the bio bubble.

“They are placed in an isolated place in the bio bubble according to health guidelines. I accept that there had been a delay in passing down the guidelines to those drivers. We have provided dry rations to their families,” he said.

The Minister said a group of Ukrainian tourists who were scheduled to visit Yala today in the bio bubble will be transported by the drivers who were isolated.

He said there had been shortcomings in the pilot project to revive in the tourism industry as the stipulated health guide lines had not reached some stakeholders in the industry including the tourist drivers.

"Health guidelines were drawn up to all stakeholders during a meeting we had, prior to bringing down the tourists, but those had not reached the people in the ground level including the tourist drivers," the Minister said.

He said tourists from Ukraine were brought down to revive the tourism industry which was on a standstill since March last year. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)