Quarantine measures for travellers revised; those fully vaccinated exempted from 14-day quarantine

• All travellers arriving in Sri Lanka should mandatorily carry a negative  COVID-19 PCR test report in the English language done within 72 hours  prior to embarkation

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

The Health Ministry has issued a new set of quarantine measures applicable for the travellers arriving in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

 Accordingly, those who are arriving in Sri Lanka from overseas with full Covid vaccination are not required to undergo 14 days quarantine if their on-arrival PCR tests negative.   

Those “Fully Vaccinated” are regarded as when the recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccination are completed and depart from abroad two weeks after completion of vaccination, the statement issued by the Ministry underlined.   

Moreover, travellers who have received the recommended doses of COVID-19 vaccine are required to carry the original vaccination certificate /card or a verifiable evidence of vaccination. “As there are positive cases reported among fully vaccinated persons in Sri Lanka and in other countries, it is important to minimize Covid-19 or its variants entering into the country. Therefore, fully vaccinated travellers should not relax the preventive measures and should abide by the Covid-19 preventive measures imposed by the Sri Lankan government,” the statement said.    However, quarantine measures for travellers who have not received their COVID-19 vaccination or have not completed the recommended doses of vaccination or have departed from abroad within less than two weeks of completion of recommended doses of vaccination, remain the same and will have to mandatorily quarantine until completion of 14 days after arrival in Sri Lanka, if the On Arrival (Day One) PCR report is negative.   

In addition, all travellers arriving in Sri Lanka should mandatorily carry a negative COVID-19 PCR test report in the English language done within 72 hours prior to embarkation.   

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said Sri Lankan citizens, including Sri Lankan seafarers arriving by air or dual citizens (if using the Sri Lankan passport to arrive), do not need to get the prior approval from the Foreign Ministry and Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka to arrive in the island.