COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) has asked non-essential staff not to report to work for the time being.
A senior official said the airport has asked workers from the identified COVID-19 cluster areas of Minuwangoda, Divulapitiya and Veyangoda areas not to report to work.
“As a preventive measure, we have temporarily blocked the arrivals and departure lobby areas for visitors. The public viewing gallery, access to duty-free shopping areas for arriving passengers, has also been closed from October 4, while the BIA employees from the identified areas have been asked to stay home,” Shehan Sumanasekara, Director Operation at Airport & Aviation Services of Sri Lanka, said.
BIA is located minutes away from Minuwangoda.
Sri Lanka has so far identified 69 COVID-19 patients in these areas and have traced close to 950 direct contacts of the apparel worker who first tested positive. The factory the patient works at has ,300 workers.
Police has advised residents in the areas under police curfew and the general public at large to curtail any non-essential travel for the next 72-hours.
-economynext.com