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No plans for vaccine passport

18 May 2021

  • Fully vaccinated individuals still require quarantine

  • Anyone apart from travellers from India can visit SL

By Karen Hapuarachchi   Due to the nature of the new wave, the Ministry of Tourism has kept the idea of implementing the vaccine passport – a vaccination pass or passport is documentation proving that you have been vaccinated against Covid-19 – in the backburner, The Morning Business learns.  Speaking to us, the Ministry Secretary S. Hettiarachchi referred to the public Statement made by the US President Joe Biden announcing that fully vaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks last Thursday (13).  “Regarding the Vaccine Passport, some countries are introducing it and President Biden has also allowed travel without the mask if fully vaccinated. However, the pandemic laws in Sri Lanka are different and stricter than the ones in the US or Europe,” Hettiarachchi stated.  He further expressed that some countries believe in the efficiency of the vaccine and use it as a safeguard against the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic more than its neighboring countries.  “However, it is not the same in Sri Lanka. For instance, if you have had two doses of vaccine already, according to the current guidelines and restrictions, you still have to be quarantined,” Hettiarachchi commented.  As per NBC Chicago news reports, individuals have tested positive for the coronavirus where they were fully vaccinated. However, these cases were reported to have been rare. Accordingly, the news platform reported 56 deaths due to Covid-19 or related complications in fully vaccinated individuals since the New Year as per the data collected from the Illinois Department of Public Health. As of April 2021, 183 “breakthrough” vaccine cases (those who test positive for coronavirus at least two weeks after their final vaccine dose) were also reported. The New York Times reported that there is no evidence that suggests that the new vaccines created to prevent you from Covid-19 infections will also prevent the spread of the virus to others yet.  Nevertheless, international reports from the BBC also mentioned that the Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths, who is a complete supporter of the documents, stated that there is no alternative to the Vaccine Passport.  Griffiths further suggested that the issue is not the vaccine passport and its discrimination but the need to have a proper globally equitable vaccine programme against the critics that debates that the vaccine passport supports discrimination,  On the other hand, Hettiarachchi stated that there have not been new travel bubble agreements signed with neighboring countries. However, “Foreigners from any country (except India) can travel under the travel bubble and guidelines, there's no suggestion that saying the countries that have signed can come,” Hettiarachchi commented. 


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