1 January 2021 12:00 am
Minister says people need not fear as the tourists will not visit local residential areas
By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya
A total of six tourists from Ukraine of the 390 Ukrainians have been tested positive for Covid-19 as of yesterday morning since Monday (28), the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) said.
Three Ukrainians who were among the first tourist group that arrived at the Mattala airport were tested positive for the virus on Tuesday while three more tourists who were part of the second tourist group were identified as Covid-19 infected on Wednesday.
The first tourist group that arrived in the country comprised 186 Ukrainians while the second group consisted of 204 tourists from Ukraine. They were sent to hotels in the South following PCR tests on their arrival and would also be subjected to another PCR test after 7 days.
Health authorities and Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga assured earlier that locals should not fear as the tourists will not visit local residential areas.
Minister Ranatunga also said that hotels where the tourists are staying will be disinfected and the staff who come into the contact with the tourists will be quarantined after they depart from the country.