Curfew in 8 districts till Friday

The Colombo City was seen deserted yesterday with curfew clamped. The government extended the curfew which would be lifted at 6 am today and reimposed at 12 noon till Friday.
Pic by Pradeep Pathirana     

By Sandun A Jayasekera

The curfew that will be imposed at 12 noon today in eight districts - Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu, will be lifted at 6.00 am on Friday and reimposed at 12 noon the same day.  

 The curfew that had been imposed in these districts is to be lifted this morning at 6.00 am.   

The curfew lifted in other districts at 6.00 am yesterday was reimposed at 2.00 pm yesterday will be lifted at 6.00 am on Thursday (26) and reimposed the same day at 12 noon..   
Travelling between districts has been fully banned during the curfew period but there would be no restrictions to carry out agricultural activities and work related to paddy cultivation and harvesting. Transport of rice, vegetables, fruits and other essential commodities are allowed, the Presidential Secretariat announced yesterday.   

“The government was compelled to take strict action after a Sri Lankan born Pastor, domiciled in Switzerland had arrived in Sri Lanka on March 10 and reportedly associated with parishioners of the Philadelphia Church in Ariyalai in Nallur”, the Presidential Media Division (PMD) said.   

“He had presided over a service and left the country on March 16 and was allegedly sent for treatment on arrival in Switzerland with suspected COVID 19 infection,” the PMD added.   
Around 150 in the congregation, who had travelled to the church from several parts of the Northern Province, are at risk of possible infection. The Pastor had shown symptoms of a viral infection while in Sri Lanka with shivering and fever.   

The public in the affected districts have been strictly advised not to go out of their residences and the area until all contacts with the pastor has been found.   

The Police had been instructed to make facilities for the farming community to engage in their cultivation activities without any disruption and measures are in place to supply essential food items to where they are required.   

 The Dambulla Dedicated Economic Center (DDEC) will be kept open until vegetable, fruits and other food commodities are fully sold out, N.G.B. Bandara of the DDEC said yesterday. Expressways are open and a curfew pass is required to use them, Minister Johnston Fernando said   

The government has requested the private sector to carry out business as usual as per the guidelines set out by the Health, Defence and Law Enforcement establishments through all Chambers of Commerce. The government expects all private sector and state sector commercial banks will be kept open during the hours when the curfew has been lifted.   

• Public in the affected districts have been strictly advised not to go out of their residences and the area