Sri Lanka to make Covid vaccine card mandatory for entry in public places
Sri Lanka will require the showing of a Covid-19 vaccination certificate compulsory for entry to public places starting from January 1, in a renewed attempt to prevent another spike in infections.
Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga made the announcement on Sunday, 19th December 2021, in an abrupt switch from the gradual ending of restrictions put into place after the country was confronted with a third wave of Covid-19 infections in April. He said health officials were drawing up arrangements on implementing the decisions. The Health Ministry is also planning to replace the physical vaccination card with a mobile application.
Since Sri Lanka lifted a six-week lockdown on October 1, life has begun returning to normal, with the reopening of cinemas and restaurants and wedding parties allowed. Restrictions put into place after the country was faced with a third wave of COVID-19 infections caused by the Delta variant in April have been gradually lifted.
However, police continue to enforce the wearing of face masks and maintenance of social distance in public places. Restrictions also remain on public transport and large-scale gatherings are discouraged.
COVID-19 cases surged in Sri Lanka in July and the country was placed under a conditional lockdown from August 20 to October 1.At the peak, daily infections rose to more than 3,000 with 200 or more deaths. New daily infections have since fallen to approximately 700 and deaths to less than 25.
Since Sri Lanka’s first COVID-19 patient was detected in March 2020, the country has recorded nearly 580,000 confirmed cases and over 14,000 deaths from the virus.
Meanwhile, President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa instructed the members of the Special Committee to take necessary steps to complete administering booster doses within the next two weeks to control the spread of Covid-19 during the upcoming festive season.
The island nation also started rolling out the Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot for those above 30 years who have received two jabs of any Covid-19 vaccine. Since October, booster doses have been administered to front-line health workers and those above 60 years.
The country has given green light to administer the second dose for children between the ages of 16 and 19 and the first dose for all children between the ages of 12 and 15. Determined to boost tourism against the backdrop of the country is undergoing a severe financial crisis, President Rajapaksa instructed to further relax the restrictions imposed on tourism.
Hospitality Sri Lanka News
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