Total of 1,131 passengers arrive during the last three days: Aviation Director

• 222 passengers - Tuesday
• 622 passengers- Wednesday
• 287 passengers- yesterday

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama and T.K.G. Kapila  

By the third day since the initiation of COVID-19 quarantine process at the airport, a total of 1,131 passengers who arrived in the country from Iran, Italy and South Korea had been sent to quarantine centres countrywide,  Airport & Aviation Director Shehan Sumanasekara said.    

They all were sent to quarantine centres in Batticaloa Campus, Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in Polonnaruwa and the Leprosy Hospital Hendala.

He said following initiation of the process, the objections raised against by the passengers were minimized by the third day.   Accordingly, 287 passengers had been sent to quarantine centres by 6.00 p.m. yesterday (12) to the Batticaloa quarantine centre.   The first batch of passengers (222) sent for quarantine on Tuesday (10). 622 passengers sent on Wednesday (11) and 287 passengers sent yesterday.   

Security officers, Health Officials, doctors and airport senior officials had been entrusted with the programme, he said.   However, another flight with 199 passengers from Milano, Italy arrived at the Katunayake Airport last night, and they were to be sent by yesterday to the quarantine centres.   

All passengers were provided with essential facilities and were subjected to surface sterilization before being transported to the quarantine centres by buses,” he said.    He further said that none of these passengers who disembarked at BIA showed any symptoms related to the COVID-19.