While refuting allegations that opening the country for tourists resulted in the spread of Covid pandemic, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunge said yesterday the country was opened for tourists to facilitate three million people who were engaged in the tourism trade.
He said in a statement that certain parties including those in the opposition have started to charge again that Covid pandemic had spread due to the opening of the country for tourists, especially Ukrainians.
He said the 'Bio bubble concept’ was introduced for tourists after lengthy discussion with the Health Ministry and that it was not an arbitrary decision of the Tourism Ministry.
He said that 220 tourists who were reported to have been infected with the virus did not mingle with the country's society. "Tourists were not exposed to the society as they travelled under bio bubble," he said.
He appealed to the people not to be deceived by narrow political statements and said the Government was acting to restore the tourism sector based on health guidelines. (Daily Mirror)