Sri Lanka has expanded the in-bound travel ban to eight more countries in addition to previously announced three nations, to deal with the COIVD-19 outbreak.

Following instruction from the Health Authorities, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) yesterday banned arrival of travellers from France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and Austria from tomorrow for two weeks. On Thursday visitors from South Korea, Italy and Iran were banned from 14 March.

Issuing a statement, CAASL Chairman Upul Dharmadasa said the ban would commence on all flights arriving after 15 March 2359hrs (local time) and end on 29 March at 2400hrs.

Accordingly, all online carriers and offline carriers have been strongly instructed not to board during the aforementioned period in any of their flights destined to Sri Lanka any passenger who is either originating from the aforementioned states or who has been in any of those countries within the last 14 days.

Over 4,000 people have died because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to international media reports.

The first Sri Lankan COVID-19 patient was a tour guide who handled a group from Italy and the second was a person who had close links with the former.