Most of those involved in the tourism industry would be vaccinated with the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine received from the US through the UN-backed COVAX facility, according to the Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga. According to the Ministry of Tourism, there are around 500,000 people directly and indirectly involved in the tourism industry, including hoteliers, staff, guides, drivers, and three-wheeler drivers. Preliminary research has shown that the Moderna vaccine has a high efficacy of 94% against Covid-19, while it is also effective against some new variants of the virus. Nearly 2,000 persons involved in the tourism sector in the Sigiriya area were vaccinated using the Moderna vaccine yesterday (18). He added that the Government is working towards restoring the wealth of small business owners that come under the tourism industry.

Source: The Nation July 18, 2021 21:45 UTC