3 January 2021 07:12 pm
While claiming that the government had put the whole country in danger by bringing down tourists from Ukraine for a few dollars, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today asked the government to reveal who will take the responsibility if a Ukrainian cluster emerged in the country.
Former JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told a news conference that it had been reported that the second wave emerged after the virus entered the Bandix Company through a Ukrainian national and asked who will take the responsibility if another wave emerged after bringing down tourists from Ukraine.
“Ukraine is a high- risk country. Around 1.1 million Covid-19 patients and 19,000 deaths are reported in Ukraine. Around 11,000 patients are detected daily. Ukrainian Prime Minister has said that the country should be locked down from January 8 to 24. Schools are closed there. Public gatherings have been banned. Whereas we are bringing down tourists in groups from such a country,. Should we bring down tourists from Ukraine at so much of a risk? Is this the procedure to follow to promote tourism?” he asked.
Dr. Jayatissa said it was not those who were engaged in the tourism sector benefited by the move but only a handful of businessmen aligned to the government such as Udayanga Weeratunge.
“These tourists are transported not by those who were engaged in the field but by a father-in-law of a top government politician who had never been in the field previously. These tourists are provided with lodging by a few Hoteliers linked to the government. Should we put the country in danger just to benefit a handful of businessmen like Udayanga Weeratunge,” he said.
He said the government was not adopting health guidelines issued by the health authorities to be followed in the tourism sector with regard to the Ukrainian tourists.(Ajith Siriwardana)