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15.03.2020

Status Update 04 - for WUHAN CORONAVIRUS (2019-NCOV)  - Sri Lanka

This is to bring you all up to date on the current status of Sri Lanka regarding the threat of Wuhan Coronavirus (COVID-19) ).

  • Currently six  persons with COVID-19  who are now in hospital under treatment, one is a chauffeur guide who accompanied a group of Italian tourists , another person who shared lodging with the guide, one local who recently visited Germany and three Italians vacationing in Sri Lanka
  • The total number of patients under observation is 29 to date Sri Lanka has not had any deaths from COVID-19 
  • People arriving from Italy, South Korea and Iran will be quarantined in two specially built facilities by the government of Sri Lanka for 14 days. 
  • Additionally, travellers from France,Spain,Germany, Switzerland,Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and Austria will be banned from arriving in Sri Lanka from 15th March 2020 for two weeks.
  • All flights starting  from Iran, Italy and South Korea to Sri Lanka will be suspended from 14th of March 2020 for two (2) weeks ending on the 28th of March 2020. 
  • Government restriction on disembarkation  of passengers arriving from Iran, Italy and South Korea states that  any passenger who is either originating from Iran, Italy or South Korea or who has been in any of those countries during  the last 14 days are strongly advised not to board during the aforementioned period in any of the flights destined to Sri Lanka. 
  • Visa on arrival to Sri Lanka has been suspended from all countries until further notice. Hence, it is mandatory to have an online visa prior to your arrival in Sri Lanka. 
  • Currently, there is a visa fee exemption scheme for 48 countries.
  • Passengers of all international flights entering into Sri Lanka from any port are required to provide a  duly filled self-declaration form- including personal particulars such as a valid phone number and address of where they will stay in Sri Lanka) as well as their  travel history to Health Officials and Immigration officials at all ports. 

Finally, Sri Lanka will be  monitoring the situation closely and continue  to take all necessary measures including 24 hour monitoring, which is conducted including body temperature screening machines to detect the virus with the assistance of the Health and Indigenous Medicine Services Ministry and Sri Lanka Army medical teams. 

As a company who has always considered the safety of our guests as paramount, following precautionary measures will be taken at our accommodation locations.

  • Face Masks and hand sanitizers are placed in each location where our staff and guests can use to sanitize themselves.
  • All public areas / tents are instructed to be cleaned using effective disinfectants.
  • A proper briefing on the COVID-19 Virus and preventative measures will be given to the staff to educate them on the prevailing scenario (According do WHO Guidelines and with the supervision of a certified medical doctor).
  • In case of emergency we have listed down the closest hospitals where necessary containment and medications can be received.
  • Non Contact IR Thermometers to be located at each location where the staff could test each guest to ensure the safety of all during their stay with us.

As of now, we are considering to postpone your tour without any additional fee or cancellation charges for a period of one year . Please contact your account manager on a case by case basis with the new dates , where they will negotiate with the relevant hotels and give a confirmation.

Until 31st December , we are offering last minute cancellation for new bookings .

Please visit the World Health Organization (WHO) link below for safety tips during your travel:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Anuruddha Bandara [ A B ] 
Founder / Managing Director 

Experiential Journeys DMC Pvt Ltd 

14.02.2020

Status Update 03- For WUHAN CORONAVIRUS (2019-NCOV) - Sri Lanka

Dear Trade Colleagues,

This is to bring you all the updates on the current status of Sri Lanka regarding the threat of Wuhan Coronavirus (2019-NCOV).

Sri Lanka is monitoring the Coronavirus situation closely, and have taken concrete measures to strengthen the detection and management at all arrival and departure points. 

  • Ministry of Health confirmed that no Sri Lankan has so far tested positive for the Coronavirus disease in its latest assessment of the impact of the disease on the country. 

  • The only “positive case so far has been the Chinese guest who was swiftly treated at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), Mulleriyawa and is now listed as 'recovering', although the Health authorities are still keeping her under observation in hospital. 

  • The 33 students who returned from Wuhan city are reported to be in good health but are still under quarantine at the specially built quarantine facility of the Diyathalawa Army Base.

  • Twelve hospitals around the country have been identified as treatment centres for any individual who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. 

  • Sri Lankan student returnees from China and people who recently visited China for other purposes during the last 14 days are advised to stay in their homes with minimal contacts from the day of arrival in Sri Lanka. All of them are regularly monitored by the MOHs and PHIs of the relevant areas. 

  • The Health Ministry has introduced a mobile app to track down the movement of visiting Chinese nationals and help medical and public health officers to monitor their health condition. 

  • On arrival, Chinese visitors will be required to provide their mobile phone numbers they will be using in Sri Lanka. Thereby, the Medical Health Officers and the Public Health Inspectors will be able to track down the location of the visitors and check their health condition with the help of the app. 

  • At present, all passengers arriving in the country are required to make a self-declaration about their health condition. 

  • Measures have been put in place to ensure carriers of the Corona Virus cannot enter the country via Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and 24-hour monitoring is conducted by BIA staff including body temperature screening machines to detect the virus with the assistance of the Health and Indigenous Medicine Services Ministry and Sri Lanka Army medical teams. 

  • Further, from 4th of Feb onwards a prohibition has been put in place for visitors from accompanying passengers inside the airport until further notice and for passengers arriving from China, a separate exit terminal has been set up at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

As of now, we are pleased to inform everyone that Sri Lanka is geared to deal with the coronavirus threat and can responsibly state that the country remains safe for travel. 

As of now, no cancellations nor alterations are required for your tours.

Please visit the World Health Organization (WHO) link below for safety tips during your travel:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public


Anuruddha Bandara [ A B ] 
Founder / Managing Director 

Experiential Journeys DMC Pvt Ltd 

05.02.2020

Status Update 02- For WUHAN CORONAVIRUS (2019-NCOV) - Sri Lanka

Dear Trade Colleagues,

This is to bring you all the updates on the current status of Sri Lanka regarding the threat of Wuhan Coronavirus (2019-NCOV).

According to the Ministry of Health Sri Lanka, the Chinese national who was confirmed to be infected with the Novel Coronavirus is now fully recovered. She will be discharged from the hospital within the week once the last observations on the test results are done. (Source: Health Ministry - SL / Prime Minister Office)

To date, no Sri Lankans have been identified as being infected by the virus. (Source: Health Ministry - SL)

The 33 university students who were brought to Sri Lanka on the 1st February 2020, from Wuhan, China, were sent to the special unit at the Sri Lanka Army Hospital in Diyathalawa.

The unit is fully equipped with all the necessary medical facilities needed for the isolation and the treatment of the individuals - if confirmed infected. So far none of them have shown signs of the infection nor confirmed as being infected by the virus. (Source: Health Ministry - SL / Prime Minister Office)

The security measures taken at the airports/hospitals etc are still active in the same manner and the 22 member Task Force is actively overseeing the measures taken, under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. (Source: Health Ministry - SL /  Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) )

The National Infectious Disease Hospital - Colombo is now equipped with a special unit with all the required medical / staffing facilities and is ready to serve the public in any situation that might occur. (Source: Health Ministry - SL)

Also, the general public is continuously being educated on preventative measures needed in order to minimise the risk of getting infected,  via media channels and through regional health departments.

As a whole, we are pleased to inform everyone that Sri Lanka is geared to deal with the coronavirus threat and can responsibly state that the country remains safe for travel. 

As of now, no cancellations nor alterations are required for your tours.

Please visit the World Health Organization (WHO) link below for safety tips during your travel:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Anuruddha Bandara [ A B ] 
Founder / Managing Director 

Experiential Journeys DMC Pvt Ltd 

29.01.2020

Status Update 01- For WUHAN CORONAVIRUS (2019-NCOV) - Sri Lanka

Dear Trade Colleagues,

This is to bring you all up to date regarding the current status of Sri Lanka regarding the threat of Wuhan Coronavirus (2019-NCOV).

According to the Ministry of Health Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister office Sri Lanka, up to now there is only one confirmed case in the country, who is a Chinese national. She is recovering well at the National Infectious Disease Hospital Colombo. No Sri Lankans have been confirmed infected so far.

Currently, the below-mentioned measures are being taken by the Sri Lankan Government to face the issue at hand:

  • From 6 am today (29/01/2020) all visitors are prohibited from entering the airport premises other than the passengers. All the necessary arrangements and precautions have been taken at the airport to detect and treat if anyone is found infected/suspected to be infected on arrival. (Source: Chairman, Airport & Aviation Services- SL)

  • Issuing on arrival visas to tourists from China has been cancelled with immediate effect & No admission to the country for anyone who is from the Hubei / Wuhan Province of China. 

For any unavoidable arrivals from China, a separate terminal is now opened at the airport  with all the precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, if a passenger is detected to be infected, (Source: Health Ministry - SL /  Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) )

  • A Task Force has been appointed consisting of 22 qualified professionals to address the matter under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister and clear guidelines have been issued by the Ministry of Health to all the relevant health authorities, islandwide, with respect to all the aspects of containing/managing the current situation. (Source: Health Ministry - SL / Prime Minister Office)

  • Currently, the general public is being educated on preventative measures needed in order to minimise the risk of getting infected,  via media and through regional health departments.

As a whole, we are happy to announce that Sri Lanka is prepared and geared to deal with the coronavirus threat. We can responsibly say that the country remains safe to travel. As of now, no cancellations nor alterations are required for your tours.

Please visit the World Health Organization (WHO) link below for safety tips during your travel:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Anuruddha Bandara [ A B ] 
Founder / Managing Director 

Experiential Journeys DMC Pvt Ltd 


Frequently Asked Questions

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Our policy in discouraging Animal Cruelty, Tourist Traps and Staged Tourist Shows

Animals Are Friends Too: Discouraging Animal Cruelty, Tourist Traps and Staged Tourist Shows

We at ExJ stay away from tourism experiences that are staged and involve animal cruelty and shopping traps that are contrived to exploit and deceive clients.

Even though some of the popular ‘attractions’ are not included in our programmes due to the above reasons, we have no objections in our clients making their own arrangements with our Drivers to visit these places.

 

Why we do not promote following attractions

 

Turtle Hatcheries

As this concept has serious negative aspects in terms of conservation, we do not encourage our visitors to patronize the turtle hatcheries, as not all of them are really turtle-friendly. We instead encourage them to observe turtles in their natural habitats.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

When we became aware that the animal welfare standards there were questionable, we stopped encouraging our clients to visit the orphanage. We are pleased to observe that the Born Free Foundation has now adopted similar measures.

Elephant back rides – Habarana

There’s uncertainty surrounding the attitude of this place towards animal welfare. There may be a few ethical operators, but in general, we are not in agreement with how the place is run. We all would love a photo of us riding an elephant, but is a lifetime of pain caused to these magnificent mammals really worth a few fleeting likes on social media?

Traditional Village Tour with a Canoe Trip and Bullock-Carts – Habarana

This is a tourist trap where a lot of the trip is ‘staged’ for commercial purposes. Such fake touristic experiences will not give our visitors an idea of what life in the country is really like, so join us as we show you the real side of Sri Lanka. And at the end of every vacation, always ask yourself, “Did you feel that your holiday was ethical, eco-friendly, and reduced environmental impacts?”

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