Says will continue to implement strict quarantine measures despite requests to relax them

• Warns those going to sea not to mingle with foreign individuals  
• Continue to conduct PCR, RATs on seafarers  
• Closely monitoring situation in next few days after the festive season locally

By Sunil Jayasiri

While claiming that Sri Lanka is concerned about the increase  of COVID-19 cases in the world as well as the neighbouring countries,  Army Commander Shavendra Silva yesterday said that it is the main reason  that Sri Lanka is adopting strict quarantine process in place and will  continue with it despite some opposition to it. 

“We are very much concerned about the increase of COVID-19  cases in the world especially neighbouring countries and that is why we  are always maintaining strict quarantine process targeting arrivals to  the country,” he said.  

He also said that “there were some requests to relax the  quarantine process, but we have to study developments especially  in the Asian region and we take decisions after going through the  COVID-19 developments in other countries”.  

General Silva who is also the head of National Operation  Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) also told Daily  Mirror that all precautionary measures have been taken to prevent COVID-19 cases coming from overseas into the country.   

He also warned those who go out to sea specially fishermen  not to mingle with foreign individuals as it would be a path for overseas cases entering the country.  

He said that recently the Sri Lanka Navy apprehended  several overseas individuals in the Sri Lankan waters being COVID-19  positive. The Commander said that it is a very dangerous situation, although we have taken preventive measures to curtail the virus entering the country  through the airports and Ports, but there are possibilities of it spreading via  smuggled items as well as individuals.  

• He also warned those who go out to sea specially fishermen  not to mingle with foreign individuals as it would be a path for overseas cases entering the country