Courtesy Hiru News

The Ministry of Health has stated that it will intervene if certain hotels are charging exorbitant rates from guests who are staying in hotels after conducting covid tests until the results are received. 

Tourists have repeatedly accused hotels of charging exorbitant rates for their stay in the country once they return from abroad and are awaiting the results of the Coronavirus test.

About 2,000 local and foreign tourists are currently arriving in Sri Lanka daily from the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport, subject to travel restrictions.

Sri Lankans that have been vaccinated with both doses are also subject to hotel stays in quarantine until the fresh PCR results are available.

However, the quarantine travellers allege that the hotels charge exorbitant fees for a period of no more than one day while they wait g for the results of the test.

Our investigation revealed that a a  particular star hotel charges $ 170 or Rs. 34,000 per person per day for a single room and $ 210 or Rs. 42,000 per room for two.

In addition, the hotel charges $ 40 for a covid test, $ 12 for insurance and $ 55 for airport transportation.

It was revealed that another hotel charges $ 231 or Rs. 46,000 for a single room and $ 265 or Rs. 53,000 for a double room.

In addition, the hotel charges $ 40 for a covid test, $ 12 for insurance and $ 55 for airport transportation.

Our news team revealed that another star class hotel charges around $ 235 or Rs. 47,000 for a single room and $ 297 or Rs. 60,000 for a room for two.

The visitors have to be quarantined at such a high cost for their stay until the results of the covid test are obtained in the background where rapid testing facilities are available at the Bandaranaike International Airport premises in Katunayake.

When inquired from the Katunayake Airport in this regard it was stated that if the health sector makes recommendations, Rapid testing will also be available at the airport for incoming passengers. 

Hiru news team will continue to pay attention until this injustice to local and foreign tourists is resolved.

Meanwhile, a person in the area alleged that his mother and father who were infected with covid were sent to a hotel in the Negombo area for quarantine and were charged over a million rupees.

>He said that a sum of Rs. 1,015,000 was charged for a period of 07 days of quarantine in the hotel.