Sri Lanka has reopened for fully vaccinated tourists from India — including those who have got Covaxin— SriLankan Airlines’ head of worldwide sales and distribution, Dimuthu Tennakoon, told TOI on Tuesday. Also, there is no requirement for quarantine for travellers who test Covid negative on arrival in the Emerald Island.
“Sri Lanka is now open for Indian tourists. People need to be fully vaccinated, with the second shot taken at least 14 days before the trip. On arrival, travellers will go to their hotel where RT-PCR test will be conducted. Those who test negative can travel where they want to go,” Dimuthu, the revival man for Sri Lankan Airlines, said. Those who test positive will be taken to health care centres run from hotels.
All other Covid time requirements of social distancing and hand sanitation will need to be obviously observed by those testing negative.
“Sri Lanka is accepting all vaccines, including Covaxin. Currently, India accounts for over 12 crore fully vaccinated citizens which has resulted in the reawakening interest in travel,” Dimuthu confirmed.
Accordingly, SriLankan Airlines is enhancing to Sri Lanka from key Indian cities. It is currently operating four flights a week from Chennai; three flights a week from Mumbai, and once a week from Bangalore to its hub in Colombo. It will increase connectivity to India from September 1, 2021. It will resume services between Colombo and Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum and Cochin with flights once a week, whilst Hyderabad and New Delhi will be connected to Colombo with twice-weekly flights.
The airlines’ operations out of Chennai and Mumbai will expand up to five times a week whilst its Bangalore-Colombo services will be enhanced to flights three times a week. Before the pandemic, SriLankan operated 120 weekly flights between Colombo and 11 Indian cities.
Covaxin is yet to get approval from WHO. Pending that, a number of countries are yet to allow Indians fully jabbed with Covaxin to travel there. On the other hand, those who got WHO-recognised Covishield can travel to several countries.