Strict health restrictions to remain as curfew relaxes from Tuesday

• The one day NIC number policy scrapped
• restaurants, cinemas will remain closed until further notice
• public transportation to carry only a limited number of passengers
• all supermarkets and grocery stores will continue to take in a limited number of shoppers

By JAMILA HUSAIN   

Strict health restrictions will continue in all districts including Colombo and Gampaha when curfew is relaxed from Tuesday while restaurants, cinemas and all other places which gather people will remain closed until further notice in order to prevent a possible re-surface of the COVID-19. 

A senior government official told Daily Mirror yesterday, public transportation will continue to carry only a limited number of people in order to maintain social distancing while cabs and three-wheelers will continue to transport two passengers per hire.   

Further, all supermarkets and grocery stores will continue to take in a limited number of shoppers while queues formed outside will have to maintain a one metre distance. Salons will also operate only under the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry.   

Public and private sector employees will also be encouraged to continue operating on a limited staff, while others will be encouraged to continue the ‘work from home policy’.   

The one day NIC number policy, however, will be scrapped off from Tuesday and while people can go out any day of the week to attend to their work or buy essentials, people have been urged to step out only if necessary. “These restrictions will continue for some time as we need to prevent a re-surface of this virus. Still, one more cluster remains active,” the government official said.   

Till last evening, Sri Lanka had detected over 1,100 COVID-19 patients, but the recovery rate had passed over 670 patients with active cases now standing only at an estimated 400 patients.   

IDH had the largest number of patients with 74 followed by the Navy hospital which was treating 73 patients. Welikanda Base Hospital, Colombo East Base Hospital, Iranawila Hospital, Katankudy Base Hospital, Homagama Base Hospital and the Minuwangoda Base Hospital were also treating positive patients.