Sri Lanka: Officials ban inter-provincial travel as of May 11 due to increased COVID-19 activity /update 47

Event

Officials in Sri Lanka have banned nonessential inter-provincial travel as of May 11. Public transport services along such routes are suspended through at least May 30. Ongoing domestic business, gathering, and transport restrictions remain active under a Level Three alert through May 31. Authorities are also advising residents to stay home to the extent possible. A maximum of two people per household may leave home at any one time for nonessential reasons. Private and public gatherings are banned, except for permitted events. A 50-percent capacity limit applies to transport services and most establishments; recreational facilities such as pubs and cinemas may allow up to 25-percent customer capacity. The use of facemasks remains mandatory in public. All private and public organizations must utilize telecommuting to the extent possible and collect and update employee details to facilitate contact tracing if and when necessary. Officials may reintroduce or implement stricter nationwide measures in the coming days and weeks.

Additionally, officials continue to impose curfews across high-risk areas with COVID-19 cases at short notice. Under curfew restrictions, all nonessential businesses, except for specifically permitted industries, must close in designated areas. Essential shops, such as pharmacies and grocery stores, may open intermittently or provide delivery services. Officials advise those living in or with recent travel history to curfew areas to monitor their health and undergo COVID-19 tests if symptoms occur. Such measures will likely continue in Anuradhapura, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy, Kurunegala, Puttalam, and Trincomalee districts, due to elevated disease activity.

Travel Restrictions
Sri Lankan authorities are indefinitely banning entry for passengers with travel history to India in the past 14 days since May 6. Travelers from India may transit through Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) to destinations outside of Sri Lanka but cannot enter Sri Lanka. International flights to and from CMB and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI) are operational. An online visa application system is operating for nationals of most foreign countries. Permitted entrants must quarantine for 14 days. However, arrivals - including both residents and tourists - are exempt from quarantine if they carry original documents certifying they completed their vaccinations at least two weeks prior to arrival. Vaccinated passengers must also take a PCR test upon arrival and stay at a Level 1 hotel for 24-48 hours.

Unvaccinated arrivals must provide a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of flight and a completed health declaration form. Passengers must take another PCR test upon arrival and stay at a Level 1 or Level 2 hotel for up to 14 days; authorities are allowing travelers to visit specifically designated tourist sites within a "bio bubble" except if in a Level 2 hotel for onward journeys to other nations. If the unvaccinated traveler is staying for more than 14 days, they must receive PCR tests 11 and 14 days after arrival. If the stay is between 5-14 days, the travelers must undergo testing 24-48 hours before departure. Persons staying for fewer than five days do not need to undergo a PCR test in Sri Lanka. Foreigners already in Sri Lanka may apply to extend their visas. Most outbound passengers must take RT-PCR tests within 72 hours before departure; foreign nationals and holders of official or diplomatic visas may be exempt. International passenger ships such as cruises and ferries are barred indefinitely, though port operations for goods transport continue.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure that contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments. Plan for queues and delays at available shopping centers.

Resources

World Health Organization (WHO)
Ministry of Health Sri Lanka
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Tourism Board
Civil Aviation Authority Email Address