• The military will pay special focus on the vaccination drive during the quarantine curfew

By JAMILA HUSAIN AND DARSHANA SANJEEWA BALASURIYA

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,yesterday gave his nod to extend the nationwide lockdown till September 6, despite his new Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella saying a day earlier that he was against the extension of the lockdown. 

Following a meeting held between the COVID-19 Task Force and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President agreed to extend the lockdown for a further week after it was supposed to be lifted on August 30 at 4 a.m.
Rambukwella was the first to break the news on his Twitter, saying the current curfew will be extended. “Following an observation that Sri Lankan citizens have not taken the curfew to heart, in order for this to be effective, I implore again to refrain from unnecessary travel, work from home and abide by the curfew,” Rambukwella said. 

The Minister added that the lockdown was a government directive and it was not meant to be enforced by armed forces patrolling the streets to arrest those who break the curfew.
Army Commander General Shavendra Silva told Daily Mirror that all essential services, the export industry, agriculture sector and all other sectors who were permitted, can continue during the quarantine curfew and instructions have also been given to Minister Bandula Gunawardena to ensure that people get a sufficient supply of food and other essentials. 
Shavendra said they were also paying special focus on the vaccination programme, especially on those who were above 60 years and who were yet to be vaccinated.

“The military will pay special focus on the vaccination drive during the quarantine curfew because it was discussed that in some districts sufficient vaccines to inoculate the total targeted population has still not been sent. This is because in some districts, the vaccines were also administered on those below 30 who were in the garment sector and also other vulnerable sectors,” Silva said.

At yesterday’s meeting, President Rajapaksa instructed authorities that in all districts, health workers should complete inoculating people with at least the first dose by utilizing the present stocks. This is to ensure that all those above 30 years are administered with the first doses by next week.

President Rajapaksa, in his recent address to the nation said he requested everyone in the country to be prepared to make more sacrifices if the country is to be placed under a lockdown for a longer period of time in the future.