Friend Currently on Holiday in Sri Lanka - Should They Finish Their Holiday or Come Home Now?

My friend is currently on holiday in Sri Lanka since Monday. They are suppose to come back on Thursday or Friday but a lot of family and friends have been urging them to come home now. Since it is only 5 days left on their holiday (as opposed to something like 5 weeks), is it worth them making arrangements to return home now or just continue the rest of their trip as planned?

Their main concern is being able to get back into the country because other countries are starting to make restrictions about incoming flights. But they could also be rushing home for no reason considering Australian government is slow to take action.

Their flight to leave is scheduled for Friday but there is no charge to rescheduling (or a minor fee). However they are several hours away from their departing city so would not probably get back there immediately even if they decide to go home tomorrow.

Also they do not need to be back at work yet. They work in the health industry and at the moment their work is only asking them to provide a journal documenting their health status for 14 days before being given the ok to return to work.

Update: They decided to move their flight forward by two days. It gives them enough time to see some places and family can relax since they will come home earlier than planned. And they are going to isolate themselves for 2 weeks. Next dilemma for them is what they will watch on Netflix.

Poll Options

  • 4
    Book flights ASAP to return home now
  • 3
    Wait another day or two
  • 59
    Return home on same date as planned

Comments

  • +1

    No need to change anything unless Sri Lanka announces anything. They're more likely to be at risk getting infected on the plane back than just being there.

    • It's more about them being able to come back into the country. They don't want to end up on Christmas Island or somewhere silly. They feel that they are at less risk of exposure to the virus in Sri Lanka rather than here.
      Thanks, I've edited the above.

      • +2

        Well then you've answered your own question.

  • Sri Lanka is one of my favourite cities; tell you friend to enjoy the rest of their trip and must have dinner at Ministry of Crab, super delicious and the best restaurant in Sri Lanka.

    • +6

      You mean one of your favourite countries right? Are you talking about the capital, Colombo? Colombo is a really nice city, I would like to go and see it. Last time was when I was a kid.

    • +13

      My favourite city is Europe.

      • +1

        My favourite 'city', the Earth

        Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilisation, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

        -Carl Sagan

        • +1

          Brilliant man. I miss him. We only have one home but we seem determined to trash it. I don’t think God is giving our bond back.

  • +2

    Are they an Australian citizen?

  • +1

    The only real risk is if Australia follows NZ and implements a 14 day self isolation rule for all travellers.

    I would say that is less likely this week, but you never know.

    • I'd say it's getting more and more likely the smaller the changes we make now.

    • I'm surprised government has decided this today and not later in the week

    • +3

      well that just happened

  • -1

    srilanka doesnt have many cases, so the logic is stay there as long as possible, extend the holiday till corona dies

    • +8

      Reported cases.

  • +3

    They now have fourteen extra days to relax when they get home unfortunately.

    • Who doesn't think they need a holiday after a holiday.

      • -1

        2 weeks to overcome jetlag :D

        • It's a start. 50 more years should be enough.

  • My mum's in Sri Lanka at the moment too, I thought she'd be annoyed that she has to come home to 14 days of self-quarantine and would expedite her return but seems like she's in no rush.

    Sri Lanka does have a low amount of confirmed cases with 19, and 103 suspected, the only panic there now is towards foreigners/tourists, besides the usual food panic. There was a bus load of Italian tourists that went all over the country and on return to Italy, found they had the virus, but the confirmed cases have been confined to expats returning from Italy where there is a large Sri Lankan migrant population.

    So they've declared today a 'holiday' to let people stay at home, and have closed schools and universities. For a nation with less cases, they've enacted more preventative policies than we have here….

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