• From 11.00 pm tonight up to 4.00 am on Tuesday, May 25, and will once again be imposed from Tuesday 11.00 pm until May 28 at 4.00 am
• Only essential service, food trucks, apparel workers to be allowed 
• May 25, people urged not to flock supermarkets 
• People who require to leave home on essential work will be allowed 

By JAMILA HUSAIN 

A countrywide travel restriction will come into effect from 11.00 pm tonight and will be lifted at 4.00 am on Tuesday, May 25, and will once again be imposed from Tuesday 11.00 pm and will be lifted on May 28 at 4.00 am.  

Head of National COVID-19 Operations Centre General Shavendra Silva told Daily Mirror that no one will be allowed to leave their homes when the restriction is underway except for essential service workers, food vendors and those transporting fruits and vegetables in lorries. The government has instructed everyone to keep businesses closed except for the apparel industry who can work on minimum staff and pharmacies have also been instructed to be open in case of urgent medical requirements. 

Silva said people who have to leave home for urgent requirements such as visiting a hospital or requiring medicines from a pharmacy will be allowed to travel to their destination and back but will have to carry their NICs and explain their purpose of travel.   

On May 25, when the travel restriction will be lifted at 4.00 am, Silva urged people to prevent leaving their homes to flock supermarkets and grocery stores and leave home only if essential. 

He said a government holiday would anyway be in place on May 25 but shops selling groceries and other essential items would be open. “However we urge people not to leave their homes unnecessarily and only one or two members per family should go out to purchase essential items if required,” Silva said.

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However we urge people not to leave their homes unnecessarily and only one or two members per family should go out to purchase essential items if required

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People who have to leave home for urgent requirements such as visiting a hospital or requiring medicines from a pharmacy will be allowed to travel but will have to carry their NICs