Advisory for Indians in or going to Sri Lanka notes COVID rules & Burning container ship

As the world continues to reel under the COVID pandemic, the High Commission of India in Colombo said that all the Indians, who are living in Sri Lanka or planning to travel to Sri Lanka stay abreast of all COVID-19 related restrictions, which have been recently imposed by the country's government. 

Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka issues advisory

Meanwhile, after the MV X-Pearl, a Singaporean container ship, had caught fire last week, the High Commission of India in Colombo on Wednesday issued a travel advisory. As per the statement issued by the High Commission of India, the Indian Nationals, who are currently in Sri Lanka are advised to refrain from going close to the seas off Colombo and Negombo. 

COVID-19: Sri Lanka suspends inbound international flights

Earlier on May 20, the Sri Lankan government had suspended all inbound international passenger flights for 10 days as a part of its efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic in the island nation, which reported the highest spike in infections and deaths on May 19. The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) had said that the flight suspension will be in force from midnight of May 21 to midnight of May 31.

The CAASL had said passengers who require to leave the country would be allowed to do so during this period, via other international transit flights (with a halt of fewer than 12 hours) and flights originating from the country. 

The aviation authority had enlisted four exceptions to the restriction: emergency aircraft diversion to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport and Bandaranaike International Airport, freighter operations and humanitarian flights, technical landings, and inbound ferry flights without passengers, the Colombo Page news portal reported.

Image: (Indian Coast Guard, Republic World image)