Colombo, March 16 – All parts of Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport will be fumigated on Monday by medical officers and airport staff members following the arrival of large groups of Sri Lankan nationals from Italy, South Korea and some other European countries in recent weeks.
Chairman of the BIA, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri told Daily Mirror that this is the first time the BIA will be fumigated since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.
“By doing this, everything will be cleaned. If I feel the necessity, I will get the BIA fumigated everyday from today,” Chandrasiri said.
In recent weeks, thousands of Sri Lankans have returned back from Italy, South Korea and other European countries while small tourist groups have also been arriving from countries which are not facing a ban from traveling to Sri Lanka.
So far, a majority of those infected with the virus, are those who have returned from overseas.
The Health Ministry said that strict preventive measures were in place at the BIA, to protect the medical officers, staff and security personnel as they continued to monitor and check thousands of passengers departing and arriving daily from many countries.
It is mandatory for BIA staff to wear facial medical masks while gloves and all other protective gear has also been provided.