287 Sri Lankan migrant workers stranded in the Maldives have been evacuated.

The group of Sri Lankan migrants departed on a flight of SriLankan Airlines, bound to Mattala Airport in the neighboring nation on Sunday afternoon.

According to Lankan media outlets, the migrants were employed as resort workers in the island nation and will be tested for Covid-19 as per procedure. PCR testing will be conducted on all passengers.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, a number of Sri Lankan nationals that were stranded in the Maldives have been evacuated under the efforts of Lankan authorities in the past. Most of them had been laid off from work or put on no-pay leave due to the impacts of the virus on the country’s economy.

Maldives closed down its borders for international travel on March 27, following which migrant workers who wished to return home were stranded. However, upon border reopening on July 15, Lankan authorities had started up the repatriation exercise.

The main international airport of the country is yet to be opened and Sri Lanka’s civil aviation department earlier announced that the it will be opened within the concluding month.

Authorities are working to facilitate Covid-19 testing at the Bandaranaike international airport before reopening.