The new Covid virus , which was reported from Britain, has now been reported in five other countries, and about 40 countries have suspended flights to the United Kingdom.
Scientists in Britain say the new virus has the potential to spread 70 times as fast as the now-spreading covid virus.
Patients infected with this new strain of the virus have been reported from Britain, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia.
In the face of the new threat, about 40 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Canada, Saudi Arabia, India, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Finland and Bulgaria, have taken steps to ban flights from Britain.
Senior Medical Laboratory Technologist Kirthi Wickramaratne, Deputy Secretary of the Government Medical Laboratory Technological Association says that Sri Lanka should also pay immediate attention to this matter.
He also pointed out that people from countries such as the UK can spread the virus when they are quarantined.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka has not yet taken a decision on the suspension of flights with the United Kingdom and the Civil Aviation Authority has stated that flights will continue.
The Ministry of Health states that they will meet the President today to obtain the necessary health advice in this regard.
It was recently revealed that the Covid strain currently spreading in Sri Lanka is similar to the spreading strain of the virus in Ukraine.