Authorities insist Brandix returnees didn’t break 14-day quarantine

• Allegations are false. One has to be fair by a company with over 40,000 employees
• Returnees would not cause such a cluster within a day of their release
• PCR tests had been carried out on them upon landing at Mattala

By JAMILA HUSAIN   

Authorities yesterday insisted that employees of Brandix who returned from India in three charter flights in recent months had followed the required 14-day quarantine process under the supervision of the armed forces and PCR tests had been carried out on them upon landing at the Mattala Airport as well as after the conclusion of their two-week quarantine period. 

From Sept. 22 to Oct 6, these employees were under quarantine at Sheraton Kosgoda. The quarantine procedure was 100% followed

Army Chief, Lt. General Shavendra Silva told the Daily Mirror that allegations stating that these employees had broken the quarantine period were not true and the last set of passengers who arrived on September 22 on a charter flight from Visakhapatnam, completed their quarantine process on October 6. While more Brandix employees are yet to present themselves at the allocated quarantine centers, despite two deadlines issued. Silva said he was hopeful that they would surrender soon and insisted that these returnees would not cause such a cluster within a day of their release. 

“From Sept. 22 to Oct 6, these employees were under quarantine at Sheraton Kosgoda. The quarantine procedure was 100% followed. These allegations are false. We have to be fair by a company which has over 40,000 employees,” Silva said. 

Sources at the Mattala Airport told the Daily Mirror that Brandix had chartered its first flight on June 26 from Vishakapatnam carrying 168 passengers, while the second charter flight arrived from the same destination on August 8 with 125 passengers. The third flight arrived on September 22 which had brought 48 passengers. Upon the arrival of the first light in June, passengers were divided into three groups and were transported to the Blue Water Hotel in Wadduwa, the Sheraton Hotel in Kosgoda and the Ayurveda Hotel in Rajagiriya. The second set of passengers who arrived in August were transported to the Kosgoda Garden Resort, while the third group of passengers were transported to the Sheraton in Kosgoda. 

Mattala Airport sources said that all passengers who had arrived on these three flights were Sri Lankan nationals and their PCR tests were conducted by a private hospital. Brandix has insisted that all health protocols were followed by their employees who returned from India.   

Mattala Airport sources said that all passengers who had arrived on these three flights were Sri Lankan nationals and their PCR tests were conducted by a private hospital