Sri Lanka: Officials impose vehicular movement curbs and modified quarantine rules as of May 12 /update 48

Event

Officials in Sri Lanka have banned non-cargo and non-essential vehicular movement 23:00-04:00 daily until at least May 31. Regardless of nationality and vaccination status, all entrants must undergo a 14-day quarantine at a designated facility. The measure - which also affects diplomats and officials - is active through May 31. Outbound flights to nations banning entry from Sri Lanka may be limited in the coming days.

Ongoing domestic business, gathering, and transport restrictions remain active under a Level Three alert through May 31. Nonessential inter-provincial travel also remains suspended nationwide; public transport services along such routes remain suspended through at least May 30. 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; earlier exemptions for vaccinated travelers are no longer valid.

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 14 days; they must receive an additional PCR test between 11 and 14 days after arrival. 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