Sri Lanka removes Covid testing requirement for fully vaccinated inbound travellers

Passengers arriving in Sri Lanka, who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus (Covid-19), are not required to take a pre-departure RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test, with effect from tomorrow (March 1).The Sri Lankan embassy in Doha posted a circular informing this – issued by Sri Lanka’s ministry of health – on its Facebook page yesterday.“Fully vaccinated travellers do not need to take Covid-19 tests (PCR or Rapid Antigen) before travelling to Sri Lanka,” the circular read. “As different countries have different phases of vaccination, for inbound travellers, if the ‘recommended doses’ of Covid-19 vaccination are completed and they depart from abroad two weeks after the completion of vaccination, they will be considered as ‘fully vaccinated’.”Recommended doses to be considered a fully vaccinated traveller are: m If the traveller is vaccinated with a two-dose vaccine, or a recommended combination of them, the traveller must have had both doses to be considered as fully vaccinated for travel to Sri Lanka.m If the traveller had an approved one-dose vaccine (for e.g., Janssen), the traveller is considered as fully vaccinated.The circular also states that children aged 18 and below, who have obtained at least a single dose of a recognised vaccine, will be considered as “fully vaccinated” if their departure from abroad is two weeks after the completion of vaccination.Travellers with a past history of Covid-19, wherein the infection was detected between seven days and six months before the date of departure with at least a single dose of a two-dose vaccine, will be exempted from a pre-departure Covid-19 test.They should carry a diagnosis card or verifiable evidence of previously positive Covid-19 test report (PCR or Rapid Antigen test) as a proof of past history of illness (in English).They should depart two weeks after vaccination and also seven days after the infection, according to the circular.Travellers with a history of Covid-19 infection more than six months before the date of departure, and with a single dose of a two-dose vaccine, should carry a negative pre-departure Covid-19 test report.They should depart two weeks after vaccination.All other travellers aged 12 and above, arriving in Sri Lanka and who are not fully vaccinated, must carry a negative Covid-19 PCR test report in English, with the test done within 72 hours prior to embarkation; or a Rapid Antigen Test report (self-swabs are not allowed) in English, with the test done within 48 hours prior to embarkation.All travellers who have received Covid-19 vaccines should carry a proof of vaccination in English throughout their travel.“All travellers who have a past history of Covid-19 infection should depart after seven days of the onset of infection,” the circular added.