PCR tests for all foreign tourists arriving at BIA from Saturday: Minister

Hotel quarantining to end

• At least 1,000 tourists arrive in the country every day, and each tourist will be charged US$40 by the Tourism Promotions Authority

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama and T.K.G Kapila

PCR testing facility at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) was declared open today and will commence testing from Saturday (25), Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said a short while ago. 

Addressing the ceremony, he said the established PCR testing laboratory will issue reports within three hours for the tourists who arrived at the Katunayake International Airport.

“At least 1,000 tourists arrive in the country every day, and each tourist will be charged US$40 by the Tourism Promotions Authority to direct them to the PCR tests at the airport,” the Minister said.

He said the Ministry was hoping to increase the number of tourist arrival per day to 5,000.

This laboratory will be operated under the guidance and regulation of the Health Ministry using technology in line with the international standards. According to the Minister, this will put an end to the mandatory hotel quarantine process. “The tourists have to wait at the laboratory until the PCR test results are prepared. According to the report, foreign tourists who have received both negative and negative dosages will be able to stay in the laboratory according to their travel plans,” he said. Even if their PCR results proved negative, foreign tourists who had received only one dose should go to tourist hotels for the quarantine process.