News
All at sea on coronavirus checks as 7,000 arrive on liners
Despite strong assurances that cruise ship passengers, marine crew members and others would be tested for coronavirus, a Sunday Timesinvestigation revealed that checks at sea ports were inferior to procedures at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).
One of the cruise liners docked at Colombo port. Pix by Amila Gamage
More than 7,000 passengers and crew members arrived in Sri Lanka on three cruise liners this week, mainly through Colombo Port. Another ship is due next week.
The passengers were instructed to make a self-declaration before they disembarked and some of them underwent checking before setting off on trips to the city and suburbs.
But several others told the Sunday Times they had not been screened by local health authorities before walking out to board buses, cars or three-wheelers waiting for them outside the harbour. Others had walked freely into the city.
Noelle Wright from Canada said she did not see any safety measures against coronavirus being taken by Sri Lankan ports authorities.
Barbara from England said although every possible measure had been taken by ship authorities to maintain the safety of the passengers since their arrival, not much information had been provided by Sri Lankan authorities.
“On the ship, we get informed about the situation on a daily basis. We have been updated on a daily basis. The ship always emphasises the importance of keeping everything clean and encourages us to use sanitisers. We can’t ask for anything more than that. The virus has worried everyone all around the world,” she added.
“In other countries, we were warmly welcomed. We were instructed about the country and their situations beforehand so we were well informed about the prevailing situations in each country. At this port, we didn’t meet any Sri Lankan medical staff.”
Brigitte and Hans from Germany, who travelled on the luxury liner Queen Mary 2, said nobody had monitored them and no health checks had been carried out at the port.
Health Ministry’s Quarantine Division Director, S.M. Arnold
They were among some of the tourists who said that they had not been subjected to any screening procedures by local port staff.
These assertions were rejected by the Health Ministry’s Quarantine Division Director, S.M. Arnold, who said thermal scanners had been installed at all ports to scan passengers for fever.
He said when the three cruise liners docked, local officials had carried out checks on all passengers in addition to calling for self-declaration reports on their health 12 hours before their arrival in Sri Lanka.
“If any sick person arrives, we would not allow them to disembark. The person will be handled by a medical team,” Mr. Arnold said.
He said a team of doctors was assigned to each of the ships to carry out checks, and the doctors had been fully equipped to inspect the passengers.
“However,” Mr Arnold added, “a person who is scanned might later show signs of the illness.”
Meanwhile, Public Health Inspectors raised concerns about the procedures followed at Colombo Port by the Quarantine Division, claiming they were being sidelined in anti-coronavirus operations at the port.
Brigitte and Hans from Germany
Barbara from England
“Before a ship arrives we should be informed by the Quarantine Division requesting us to visit the ship. Before doctors visit the ship it is the PHIs who should visit the ship and give certification but that process is not being followed,” the head of the Public Health Inspectors Association, Upul Rohana, said.
He said a complaint had been lodged with the Health Ministry.
(Please see videos on timesonline www.sundaytimes.lk)