Chinese workers resume work in SL after quarantine

Colombo, Feb 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chinese workers in Sri Lanka, who were subjected to a 14-day quarantine amidst fears of the novel coronavirus, have resumed work this week, a media report said on Friday.

Work at projects such as the Port City, Lotus Tower, the construction of the National Nephrology Specialist Hospital in Polonnaruwa and the Moragahakanda Dam, were affected as its senior managers and workers who had returned from China after the Chinese New Year were ordered to quarantine by their companies, the Daily Mirror newspaper report said.

Most of these workers were instructed to rent out apartments and houses, away from residential areas and isolate themselves for two weeks to identify if they carried any symptoms of the virus.

However, with the 14-day period coming to an end this week and with employees in good health, work has now re-started in full swing.

Sources working for some Chinese funded projects in Sri Lanka told the Daily Mirror that hundreds of Chinese construction workers were yet to return with the Beijing government's ban on travelling still in place.

A source from the Colombo Port City said that while work has now resumed to normal, over 200 Chinese workers were yet to return due to instructions from their company in Beijing.

The Colombo Port City has an estimated 800 Chinese construction workers, mostly skilled.

In the Lotus Tower, over 100 workers have not returned to Sri Lanka with the public opening likely to be delayed by a further two months.

Sri Lanka has so far reported one confirmed case. The patient was discharged on Wednesday after being fully cured.

Source: IANS