28 May 2020 12:56 pm
A nationwide curfew will be imposed on Sunday, May 31 and June 4 and June 5, to avoid the unnecessary congregation of people as the threat from the COVID-19 was far from being eliminated in the country especially after a sudden spike in cases from the quarantine centers.
The Daily Mirror learns that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, after consulting health authorities and the tri force commanders on Wednesday night has decided to impose the nationwide curfews to avoid people leaving their homes during the holiday.
While till Wednesday afternoon, authorities were thinking of not continuing with the curfew as no transmission of the virus had been detected among the public since April 30, the President was recommended by health authorities that it would be advisable to continue with the curfews as even the naval cluster was still active.
As a result the President's Office, in a release said that May 31 will be a nationwide curfew, and June 4 (Thursday) and June 5 (Friday) will also be a nationwide curfew.
Despite June 4 being a weekday, an official from the President's Office said an islandwide curfew had been imposed on that day, in view of Poson Poya Day which falls on June 5, as usually every year a large number of people travel to Anuradhapura a day before to commemorate Poson Poya.
From June 1 to June 3 curfew will be imposed in all districts from 10 pm to 4 am.
From June 6 onwards curfew will be imposed from 10 pm to 4 am daily until further notice.
"These curfews have been imposed to prevent the unnecessary congregation of people because we have to realize that the COVID-19 is highly contagious. We need to take all precautions possible as we have still not eliminated the threat of the virus," the official from the President's Office said.(Jamila Husain)