Airports to open for tourists on Jan. 21
Repatriation flights continue as scheduled
The airports will open for tourists on Thursday (January 21), under strict health guidelines, the Sunday Times learns.
A high-level health official said that the airports would not be open for any other passengers except tourists, while repatriation flights will continue as scheduled.
Explaining the protocols that would be followed, the DirectorGeneral (DG) of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena told the Sunday Times that the tourists who come in will be subjected to RT-PCR testing at the airport and if negative sent in a strict bio-secure bubble along with their family or group to designated hotels and places with designated drivers. The hotel staff too will be in a bio-secure bubble.
“The tourists will not have contact with the public. The same applies to the hotel staff who will not be allowed to leave the hotel during the stay of these tourists. Once the tourists leave, the hotel staff will undergo a 14-day quarantine period before going into the community,” he said.
The tourists, meanwhile, will undergo further RT-PCR testing on the 7th and 14th day of their stay and if those are also
negative (altogether three tests), they would be allowed to go elsewhere in the country if they wish to do so, it is understood.
The DG said that all these guidelines have been sent to the relevant stakeholders including the Provincial and Regional Directors of Health (PDHs & RDHs) and the Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) who would inform the Public Health Inspectors (PHIs).
When asked about the pilot project which brought in Ukranian tourists which had disastrous results, he said that the irresponsible behaviour of a few people involved in the project who paid scant regard to health guidelines led to this regrettable situation. The tourism authorities were sidelined and protested vehemently.
“Now the measures have been tightened. All details with regard to tourists (names, travel times, vehicle numbers etc.) have to be sent to the MOHs in advance. We are not expecting the MOHs or the PHIs to shadow them all the time but keep an eye on them, with each and every one involved in this programme acting with responsibility for the national good,” stressed Dr. Gunawardena, underscoring that the health of the people of Sri Lanka is of paramount importance.
New strain in Sri Lanka but foreigner contained
“The new strain (variant) of the coronavirus found in the United Kingdom has come to Sri Lanka from abroad but there is absolutely no threat to the people of our country,” assured Dr. Gunawardena.
He said that the foreigner who was detected with the new variant is in extended quarantine for 28 days, while all his close associates have been tested both with RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests and found to be negative.
The DG added: “We are wondering how the foreigner could have contracted the virus when he was in a bio-secure bubble.”
ICU capacities
Meanwhile, on a different note, when asked about concerns over whether Sri Lanka has adequate beds in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), Dr. Gunawardena said that they do have, but if the beds in Colombo fill up, they are looking to mobilizing beds at Teldeniya and Anuradhapura Hospitals.
Vaccines
Sri Lanka is working with the Indian government to secure vaccines for 1% of its eligible population, it is learnt.
Dr. Gunawardena said that they are hoping to secure this stock from the AstraZeneca vaccine being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. These vaccines would be administered to frontline health workers and others in the frontline. When the first stocks would arrive in the country would be difficult to say, as extensive discussions are ongoing.
With regard to the vaccines for 20% of the eligible population through COVAX, he said that it would all depend on vaccine availability, while it certainly may be a mix of vaccines that Sri Lanka would be able to secure either through COVAX or bilaterally. There is no timeline for the COVAX vaccines but it may be June-July.
COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access) is a global initiative which works with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines once they are approved and licensed. It is co-led by GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Leaving out children and expectant mothers who are about 25-30% (and not eligible) of the population, we are hoping to vaccinate around 50% of the population along with the vaccines for 20% of the population from COVAX,” he added.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the Chairperson of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Prof. Asita de Silva said that they had not received any applications for the registration of vaccines yet “but we expect some soon”.