ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued fresh guidelines to be followed in the Western province and elsewhere after relaxing an islandwide COVID-19 lockdown on June 21 amid tight restrictions.
The curfew-style movement restrictions will be reimposed at 10pm June 23 until it’s lifted again at 4am June 25, Army Commander Gen Shavendra Silva said. The 30 hour temporary lockdown will cover the Poson Full Moon Poya day, a Buddhist holiday that marks the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, that falls on June 24 this year.
The MoH said company meetings, workshops, promotion campaigns, street vendors, malls in the Western province will be prohibited, while non government exams, gyms, indoor stadiums, pools, wedding ceremonies, religious ceremonies, cinemas, museums, libraries, outdoor shows, parks, restaurants, pubs and bars, casinos, night clubs, betting stations, spas, hotels and guest houses will be closed islandwide.
Public transport will be available, but at 50 percent seating capacity and only essential services workers can use the public transport in the western province.
State-run vegetable exchanges, or Economic Centres as they’re known, will continue to operate for wholesale activity. Mobile vendors registered with their respective provincial council will be permitted to continue, the MoH said.
In conjunction with the easing of travel restrictions, authorities have also lifted quarantine isolation of 82 Grama Niladhari divisions in 12 districts.
However, another 24 Grama Niladhari divisions including Heta Eka (61) Watta and Heta Haya (66) Watte in Dematagoda where five cases of the deadly delta variant were found will continue to be under isolation until further notice.
Health authorities detected 2,248 COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period that ended at 0600 am on June 21. A majority of these cases, 307, were identified in the Gamapha district. Another 302 were found from Colombo while 253 patients were identified in the Kalutara district.
With the newly identified patients, the total number of cases islandwide has increased to 239,688. Of these, 201,388 have recovered, according to official data, while 35,719 patients are still undergoing treatment. With 47 deaths being recorded in the last 24 hours, Sri Lanka records a total of 2,581 deaths due to COVID-19.
In the third wave started from April 15,2021 Sri Lanka has recorded 14,346 new cases and 1,972 COVID-19 related deaths. A total of 7,751 are in quarantine centres.
Areas under Isolation:
Gampaha
Yatihena, Siyabalapewattha, Nahena
Ampara
Nawa Walathapitiya Village
Batticaloa
Eravur 02, Meeravodi East, Meeravodi West, Manchcholai Baduriya
Rathnapura
Dapane, Kelandagala GN Division Mullekanda Watta, Kottala
Kalutara
Maha Waskaduwa South, Minnerithanna Tsunami Village
Jaffna
Savatkaddu
Matale
DemadaOya, Nikagolla, Nikagolla North, Kiulawadiya, Guruwela
Puttalam
Marakkalagama
Nuwaraeliya
Karolena State Kadawala Watta Area
Galle
Gonagala GN Bolthuduwa Village
Matara
Palana South
Colombo
Aramaya area Heta Haya Watte, Aramaya area Heta Eka Watte (Colombo/June 21/2021)