Mandatory COVID vaccination rule lifted

By Chaminda Silva

A gazette notification making full COVID vaccination mandatory for people to enter public places had been lifted by the Health Minister, sources said.

The gazette notification was issued prohibiting people who had not been fully vaccinated from entering public places from 30 April 2022.

However, the Minister of Health Prof. Channa Jayasumana has taken steps to revoke the relevant gazette notification with effect from 01 May 2022.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Health issued the relevant gazette notification revoking the Order 101 of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2264/09 issued earlier. The Order 101 states, “A person shall not enter any public place without having the proof of being fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 unless exempted by the Proper Authority in respect of the whole of Sri Lanka.”

The Health Ministry said the persons who had not been fully vaccinated would be barred from entering public places again if the need arose.

Deputy Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health Dr. Hemantha Herath said that despite the repeal of the law, the risk of Covid had not gone away.