COLOMBO : Sri Lanka’s Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga who is on an official visit to Russia to participate in a tourism promotional campaign with Russia and Ukraine said that the country will open up for tourism when the local population are fully vaccinated
“Travel restrictions now in effect can be lifted once the targets of the national vaccination programme for COVID-19 are met,” Ranatunga said during the, press briefing held in St.Regis hotel in Moscow. the Minister told Russian journalists that vaccination of people between 18 and 30 years has already commenced. We will be able to complete the vaccination of all above 20 years by October,”he added.
“The aim of the vaccination programme is building herd immunity among the population in the country,”he added.
The Minister told Russian journalists yesterday that Sri Lanka had given the first dose to over 30 percent of the population above 30 while 60 percent had been vaccinated with two doses.
The government headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is on the stance of their first duty to protect the lives of people when the country is marching forward despite the pandemic. The government is taking measures to revive the tourism industry by giving priority for the safety of Sri Lankans as well as tourists. Therefore, Sri Lanka has ensured a safe environment to woo more Russian tourists,” he added.