As the deadly Corona virus spreads to more countries, Sri Lanka with one infected Chinese woman is grappling to recover from tourism set back and improve viral prevention programmes.
A special charter flight (UL 1422) of SriLankan Airlines took off from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) a short while ago, to bring back Sri Lankan students in Wuhan, China.
Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha has said the Chinese Government is expediting the request made for a special aircraft landing in Wuhan City which will allow the evacuation of the Sri Lankan students and their family members.
It is noted that the estimated number of Sri Lankan students and family members remaining in China has declined to 284 persons, from the estimated 864 at the commencement of this health emergency. 580 persons have returned to Sri Lanka.
Health authorities are taking all necessary measures to detect and prevent the spread of the virus creating awareness among the public.
But the unscrupulous traders are trying to fish in troubled waters by selling substandard face masks at high prices
A stock of 34,000 sub-standard face masks imported from India and China has been seized at Pettah. The seizure was made by the officers of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA).
The country’s tourist occupation in leading super luxury hotels has dropped to around 10 percent due to decline in Chinese travelers, a spokesman of the hoteliers association said.
Around 5000 cancellation of Chinese travelers has already been confirmed from around 25,000 bookings in the coming months, he disclosed.
The United Kingdom is the latest country to confirm cases, as the number of people infected in China hits 9,809.
The United Kingdom has confirmed its first two cases of the new corona virus, a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency.
At least 213 have died in China, as more countries announced plans to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.
(LI)