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High-level Chinese delegation will not be quarantined in Sri Lanka

08 Oct, 2020

The high-level Chinese delegation which arrived in Sri Lanka today will not be quarantined, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi.

Under normal circumstances all those arriving in Sri Lanka must quarantine for 14 days.

However, Wanniarachchi. told Parliament that the Chinese delegation was to carry out a PCR test prior to arriving in Sri Lanka.

She said that such a high level delegation will not be required to be quarantined in Sri Lanka.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya Parliamentarian Niroshan Perera questioned what steps are being taken to ensure the Chinese delegation does not bring the coronavirus with them to Colombo.

“The virus started in China so this delegation coming here puts us in trouble,” Perera said.

A high-powered Chinese delegation led by former Chinese Foreign Minister and the current Communist Party Political Bureau Member Yang Jiechi, arrived in Colombo today.

Being the first ever Chinese visit in the South Asian region, since the global Corona epidemic, the visit is expected to strengthen cooperation between Sri Lanka and China, in the areas of combating the global pandemic and revival of economic relations, the Foreign Ministry had said.

The visiting Chinese delegation is expected to meet with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The travel bubble set up for the purpose of this important visit will confine the delegation to Colombo and restrict their engagements to just two meetings with the Head of State and the Prime Minister, under the strict health protocol prescribed by the Ministry of Health.?(Colombo Gazette)

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