COLOMBO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority said on Monday that it decided to temporarily halt all arrivals from Vietnam until further notice due to the rapid spread of COVID-19.
State Minister of Aviation and Export Zones Development D. V. Chanaka told reporters that although Sri Lanka would re-open its international airports from June 1 for arrivals, travelers from Vietnam would be suspended until further notice.
The minister said this will also apply to those who had transited at Vietnamese airports and who had visited Vietnam for tourism within the past 14 days.
This decision was taken due to the spread of hybrid versions of the COVID-19 virus within Vietnam, he added.
The Sri Lankan government suspended all passenger arrivals into the island country from May 21 in order to prevent a further spread of COVID-19.
Authorities said this suspension would be lifted from June 1.
Sri Lanka is facing the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with rapid spread of a new variant of the virus which has infected over 60,000 people in May. Enditem
