Sri Lanka: Officials ban passengers from India effective May 6 due to COVID-19 activity. /update 46

Event

Officials in Sri Lanka banned airline passengers arriving from India from May 6 amid ongoing COVID-19 control efforts. The order appears to apply to all individuals, regardless of nationality. Travelers from India may transit through Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) to destinations outside of Sri Lanka, but they are not allowed to enter Sri Lanka.

Domestic business, gathering, and transport restrictions remain active through May 31, under a Level Three alert. A maximum of two people per household may leave home at any one time for nonessential reasons. Officials are also advising residents to stay home to the extent possible through at least May 10. 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. Authorities have suspended some passenger train services due to reduced demand. The use of facemasks remains mandatory in public. All private and public organizations must utilize telecommuting to the extent possible, as well as 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 allowing some international flights to and from CMB and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI). 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 as well as 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 be tested 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