23 May 2020 12:00 am
By Sandun A. Jayasekera
The curfew will be reinforced countrywide round the clock on Sunday and Monday (24 and 25) and the relaxation of curfew for 15 hours in 23 Districts except Colombo and Gampaha will be effective from 5.00am to 8.00pm from Tuesday onward, the government announced yesterday.
In Colombo and Gampaha Districts, the curfew will continue to be in force unchanged until further notice.
Meanwhile, the Police Department has charged 18,496 individuals for violating the curfew regulations and 6,991 of them have been convicted under the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance.
The total number of persons arrested since March 20th to yesterday for the same offence was 61,716 with 17,341 vehicles. In the 24 hours that ended at 12.00 noon yesterday the police had arrested 95 men and women and the number of vehicles detained was 19.
The Health and Security authorities reiterated yesterday that the public, private and state sector employees must maintain utmost care and strictly comply with the advisories and protocol issued by the government to keep the Covid-19 pandemic under control when the curfew would be relaxed from Tuesday onward. Private trips and traveling in private vehicles will not be permitted in the two districts where curfew is in force unless all the passengers in the vehicle have the relevant last two digits in the NIC (2 and 3 on Tuesday) and a valid curfew pass.
Those who attend their work place in Colombo and Gampaha Districts need to have in possession the service identity card and the letter issued by the sectional head of the office of the employee.
“All the instructions and regulations issued by the government, to be followed from 11th of May onwards in curfew imposed districts will be applicable to Colombo and Gampaha Districts, unchanged. In the 23 Districts where curfew is not in force, normal day to day activities are permitted while strictly adhering to health and security instructions.
Trains, SLTB and private buses have been permitted to take passengers upto the seating capacity and under strict health instructions.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Railways has resumed Colombo Fort – Kandy and Maradana – Beliatta intercity service and increased the number of train journeys to 40 from Tuesday.