• Pubs, bars, taverns, restaurants and cinemas are prohibited to sell liquor until further notice 
• Wine stores, hotels and guesthouses could operate within designated hours 

 By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana 

As per the newly published government COVID-19 health guidelines, the Department of Excise has announced the revised rules for functioning of countrywide liquor licensed premises until further notice. 

Commissioner General of Excise has announced the new rules according to the recent health guidelines introduced by the Health Services Director-General to determine the public places to be opened in the coming weeks until a revised decision would be made. 

As a result, the departmental spokesperson Excise Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe yesterday released a list of licensed places that are allowed to sell alcoholic beverages with immediate effect. 

The following places including FL 05 Licensed foreign liquor and toddy taverns, FL 08 licensed hotel pavilions, FL 09 licensed cinema halls, FL 11 licensed restaurants, FL 13 licensed clubs are not permitted to function until further notice. 

However, these premises including FL 07 licensed hotels (until 10.00 pm), FL 12 licensed guesthouses (till 10.00 pm) and FL 04 licensed all wine stores could function within the designated hours. 

The Excise Department warns tough legal action for those who violate these new licence conditions adhering to the COVID-19 pandemic.