• Those arriving from India, Vietnam, South African countries and South American countries will not be allowed for home quarantine but instead will have to go into a quarantine centre
• Sri Lankans and or dual citizens who are fully vaccinated arriving from all other countries are required to go in for a mandatory 14 day home quarantine

By Sheain Fernandopulle

Sri Lankans or dual citizens who are fully vaccinated arriving or transiting or having a travel history within the past 14 days from India, Vietnam, South African countries and South American countries will not be allowed for home quarantine but instead will have to go into a quarantine centre, a revised set of guidelines from the Health Ministry said.   

However, Sri Lankans or dual citizens who are fully vaccinated arriving from all other countries can go in for a mandatory 14 day home quarantine subsequent to undergoing a PCR test and after a negative result has been obtained.  
All Sri Lankans or dual citizens irrespective from any country have to carry a negative COVID-19 test report in English Language.   All Sri Lankan citizens should mandatorily carry either a negative PCR test done within 96 hours prior to embarkation or a Rapid Antigen Test done within 48 hours prior to embarkation while dual citizens should carry a negative PCR test report done within 96 hours before embarkation.   Moreover, the travellers who have received the recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccines should carry the original vaccination certificate or car, together with the certified copy of English language translation if it is not in the English Language or verifiable evidence of vaccination.  

Then, they have to produce this to the airport health officer when arriving at the airport and to the officer in charge of the quarantine hotel or centre or the hotel doctor at a safe and secured certified level one hotel.  
Also, Sri Lankan citizens or dual citizens including Sri Lankan seafarers arriving by air, other than from the above-mentioned countries, should stay at a quarantine hotel or centre or a safe and secure certified level one hotel until the on arrival negative PCR test result is available.  

Once a negative report is received, the officer in charge of the hotel or centre, should discharge the fully vaccinated individuals after verifying the status of the PCR test.  They should then issue these Sri Lankans and dual citizens a discharge document and the details are to be emailed to the Epidemiology Unit.  
Sri Lankans or dual citizens should then arrange their own transport to travel to their destinations should not use public transport for this purpose. They should travel direct to the destination without any stopovers.  
Upon arrival home, they should immediately inform their area Medical Officer of Health by telephone or email.