US asks citizens to ‘reconsider’ travel to Sri Lanka in new advisory

April 7 (newsin.asia) – The United States in its latest travel advisory on Wednesday has cautioned its citizens from travelling to Sri Lanka amid the ongoing economic crisis and unrest in the country.

Pointing to the fuel and medicine shortages in Sri Lanka, the US’ new ‘Level 3’ advisory also mentioned terror threats as a concern.

Updated travel advisory for Americans in Sri Lanka to reflect the impact of SL’s economic & political challenges on travelers. Please note the overall level of the advisory remains at Level 3 & the terrorism language has stayed consistent since April 2019. https://t.co/c1flM652fO

— U.S. Embassy Colombo (@USEmbSL) April 7, 2022

The new travel advisory on Sri Lanka: 

Reconsider travel to Sri Lanka due to COVID-19 and fuel and medicine shortages. Exercise increased caution in Sri Lanka due to terrorism.

Read the Department of State’s COVID-19 page before you plan any international travel. Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 and related restrictions and conditions in Sri Lanka.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Sri Lanka due to COVID-19, indicating a high level of COVID-19 in the country. Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers.

Sri Lanka is experiencing shortages of fuel and cooking gas as well as some medicines and essential food items, due to the ongoing economic situation in the country. There have recently been protests over the economic situation and queues at gas stations, grocery stores, and some pharmacies. Protests have occurred throughout the country and have mostly been peaceful. In some instances, police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters.

There have also been daily planned power outages across the island, as well as some unplanned power outages, as fuel for backup generators are increasingly scarce. Public transportation in some instances has been limited or curtailed.

Travellers should monitor local media for updates on the ongoing situation.

Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, hospitals, and other public areas.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in remote areas.

Source: NewsAsia