26 May 2020 12:00 am Views - 256
By Sandun A. Jayasekera
Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe highlighted the necessity of maintaining a gap between flights that repatriate Sri Lankans from overseas.
He said PCR testing and the screening process at BIA needed to be ramped up as 72 Sri Lankans who returned to the country tested positive for COVID-19.
“We have no option but to rethink of repatriation and take apt measures to prevent returnees, who had contracted the virus, from posing a risk to others.
Two batches of 287 and 179 Sri Lankans were repatriated last Tuesday and Wednesday respectively on two Kuwait Airways flights free of charge. Both groups were subject to special medical examinations at BIA and directed to quarantine centres.
According to the Foreign Ministry, more than 19,000 Sri Lankan expatriates have registered to return home.
Meanwhile, 182 Sri Lankans, mostly students, returned to the country last morning from Moscow.