News
Lanka bans passengers from six Southern African countries
Sri Lanka clamped a ban from midnight yesterday on passengers with a 14-day travel history in several southern African nations from entering the country after the new variant of COVID-19 mutant ‘Omicron’ was detected in that region.
However, SriLankan Airlines will continue with its recently announced direct flights to Kenya, a spokesman for the airline told the Sunday Times yesterday. He said the airline had not received instructions from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to cancel these flights.
CAA Director General Upul Dharmadasa said that as Kenya was not one of the six African countries from which passengers had been banned, they had not considered ordering the national carrier to cancel its flights to the continent.
The travel restrictions came with immediate effect since Health Services Director-General (DG) Dr. Asela Gunawardena on Friday barred travellers from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Eswatini (Swaziland). The restrictions also apply to those who have been in transit in those countries and will be operative until further notice.
Sri Lanka’s restrictions come hot on the heels of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring Omicron (B.1.1.529) as a ‘Variant of Concern’.
All those 12 years and above who arrived in Sri Lanka from these countries, irrespective of their COVID-19 vaccination status, mandatorily will also have to undergo RT-PCR testing. If negative, they would have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine as specified by the ministry. They would be discharged from quarantine only after a PCR/rapid antigen testing on Day 14 is negative.
Those who are symptomatic or have positive COVID-19 test reports are to be managed as specified by the ministry.
The WHO has urged countries to enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts to better understand circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, reminding individuals to take proven health and social measure to reduce their risk of COVID-19.
With an increase in infections being seen in South Africa in recent weeks, Omicron had first been reported to the WHO from there on November 24.
“This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other Variants of Concern,” the WHO said, explaining that several labs have indicated that for one widely used PCR test, one of the three target genes is not detected. It is called S gene dropout or S gene target failure.
The WHO added: “This test can, therefore, be used as marker for this variant, pending sequencing confirmation. Using this approach, this variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in infection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage.”
(Please also see Page 10)
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