Sri Lanka updates guidelines on COVID-19 cases and their close contacts

Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has updated the guidelines on dealing with COVID-19 cases and their close contacts.

Thus, a person who has been fully vaccinated should not be subjected to home quarantine if they have no symptoms, even if they are Tier-One Close Contacts of an infected person.

They can carry out their daily activities according to the new normal lifestyle and a rapid antigen or PCR test is sufficient only if any symptoms occur.

Only the following groups are considered to have been fully vaccinated.

If you are over 20 years of age, you should have taken both doses and should have completed more than two weeks since the second dose. If one has passed over three months after taking the second dose, a booster dose is mandatory.

Also, according to the new guidelines, if you become infected after the second dose, a month’s gap from the date of infection is sufficient to receive the booster dose.

Children between the ages of 16-19 are considered to be fully vaccinated after obtaining both doses, and completing two weeks since the second dose.

Children between the ages of 12 and 15 are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving one dose.

All those who are not fully vaccinated and are considered as Tier-One Close Contacts will be required to undergo home quarantine for 7 days and will be referred for testing if symptoms occur.