Colombo: Sri Lanka will resume flights to repatriate its citizens stranded overseas due to the coronavirus pandemic, a top official said on Wednesday.
The government halted the repatriation of its citizens from various countries from July 14 in view of the increasing number of cases.
Admiral JayanathColombage, Additional Secretary to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said two flights have been scheduled for July 31 and August 1 to repatriate Sri Lankans from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Nearly 600 Sri Lankans are expected to return via the two flights.
“We had to temporarily halt the repatriation flights from July 14 due to a sudden spike of COVID-19 infections in a drug rehabilitation centre. We have been able to successfully control it. This means that the space in the quarantine centre has been made free,” Colombage said.
The next few flights have been scheduled predominantly focussing on the Middle East, especially countries such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan. (PTI)
