Brandix, an apparel group employing over 70,000 staff worldwide, is launching new initiatives to keep workers safe besides earning export revenues vital to keep the pandemic hit Sri Lanka stable.

In 2020 Brandix shifted to personal protective equipment as demand fell away for regular clothes. The PPE work kept workers in jobs though health regulations and placed constraints on output.

In September one factory near the airport got infected, after a variant of Coronavirus. The so-called Nordic variant was suspected have leaked from a hotel where transiting air crews were housed, officials have said.

In the last week of May 2021 Sri Lanka went into a nation-wide lockdown as surgical isolation of small areas failed to contain the pandemic after the April New Year. Export factories were allowed to operate during the lockdown with workers provided company transport.

Workers in areas under strict isolation stay at home, increasing absenteeism. Brandix has been operating a health protocol in its network involving pre-screening and temperature checks. Based on red flags worker are asked to stay home with pay.

During the first Coronavirus wave April 2020, Brandix gave a factory in Punani to the government to be used as a quarantine centre.

In October, a Brandix factory in Pinnawala was given to be used a quarantine centre. In the latest wave, a factory in Seeduwa was given to the government be used an intermediate care centre. The Army converted it to a hospital and it is run by the Health Ministry.

Brandix continues to provide power and other utilities to keep the hospital centre running. The firm had also appointed counselors to the factories to help workers cope with psychological stresses of coping with COVID lockdowns. In the second wave some workers faced pressure from the community requiring support.