Colombo, Jan. 28 (newsin.asia) — The Sri Lankan government has suspended issuing ‘on arrival visas’ for tourists visiting from China after a 43 year old Chinese tourist was detected with the new coronavirus in the country on Monday evening, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.
Wanniarachchi told journalists after conducting an urgent inspection tour of the Bandaranaike International Airport that the on arrival visa policy for Chinese tourists would remain suspended until further notice.
She said here on, Chinese tourists who want to visit Sri Lanka will have to make an application in China to obtain visas and Sri Lankan authorities will only approve their application after studying their details including their area of residence in China.
Airport authorities have also allocated a separate arrival terminal at the airport for travelers arriving from China and they will be quarantined and medically checked upon their arrival.
Sri Lanka, on Monday evening detected its first case of the new coronavirus after a Chinese national from the Hubei Province developed a fever while holidaying in the country.
She is currently receiving treatment at the National Infectious Disease Hospital.
The Chinese national had arrived in the country on Jan.19 as a tourist and upon concluding her tour, she was returning back to the airport on Jan. 25 when she was suffering from a fever. She sought medical help and was transferred to the Infectious Disease Hospital, the Health Ministry said.
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