Curfew in Colombo-Gampaha-Kalutara-Puttalam districts to continue until May 4

The ongoing curfew in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam will remain in force till 5.00 am on Monday (May 04), says the President’s Media Division (PMD).

In all other districts, curfew will be lifted at 5.00 am on Monday, the 27th April and will be re-imposed at 8.00 pm on the same day. In these districts, curfew will be effective from 8.00 pm to 5.00 am till Friday, the 01st of May.

In order to resume work at both public and private sector entities in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam from 4th May, even when the curfew is in force, relevant regulations will be relaxed.

State organizations including Departments, Corporations and Boards as well as factories, construction enterprises, offices, vegetable and fish stalls and retail outlets belonging to the private sector are permitted to function.

The private sector entities should open for work at 10.00 am daily. During the next week, heads of both state and private sector organizations should plan out their operations to be carried out from May 4th onwards.

Only 1/3 of the total workforce of each state organization such as Departments, Corporations and Boards are required to report for work. The head of each organization should ensure that only the minimum required number of employees are called for work irrespective of the essentiality of the service it provides.

All the employees of the state sector entities who are not required to report for work in the office should work from their homes. The responsibility to decide who should come to the office and who should work from home lies with the head of each organization. The Head has the freedom to select a different set of employees each day.

As a measure to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, the public should stop unnecessarily coming to roads and gathering at various other places.

Buses belonging to Sri Lanka Transport Board and railway carriages can only transport employees who are reporting for work. Civilians except those who are essentially required to report to work should remain in their homes.

People are allowed to leave their homes only to purchase essential items such as food and medicines. They should select the closest outlet located within walking distance from their homes to make such purchases.

Even for essential purposes, people will be allowed to leave their places of dwelling based on the last digit of their National Identity Cards (NICs).

Accordingly, those with number 1 or 2 as the last digit of the NIC are allowed to leave their homes on Mondays.

Similarly, those who can leave their homes during the week are as follows:

Monday : People with No. 1 or 2 as the last digit of their NICs

Tuesday : People with No. 3 or 4 as the last digit of their NICs

Wednesday : People with No. 5 or 6 as the last digit of their NICs

Thursday : People with No. 7 or 8 as the last digit of their NICs

Friday : People with No. 9 or 0 as the last digit of their NICs

COVID-19 prevention health recommendations should strictly be adhered to during office hours, public transport and inside shops. They include disinfection, wearing masks, washing hand from time to time and maintaining social distance. The Police and the security forces will vigilantly observe whether these guidelines are followed.

Travelling between districts is strictly limited only to official and other essential purposes. Schools, universities, tuition classes and other education institutes and cinemas will remain closed until further notice.

If any area where the curfew has been relaxed, happens to be identified as a risk village or a zone, curfew may be re-imposed limiting only to such area. No one will be permitted to enter or leave areas designated as isolated.

All forms of functions, pilgrimages and pleasure tours, carnivals, processions and meetings are banned until further notice. Since the congregation of people is a hindrance to the preventive measures to control the spread of the virus, the Government also requests to suspend all religious festivals.

Measures introduced by the Government during the initial stages of the spread of the virus to continuously supply essential goods and services in order to ensure an uninterrupted day-to-day life will be further strengthened.

The pandemic should be controlled fully to protect the civilians against the virus. At the same time, it is imperative to revive the economy which has been disrupted. These objectives can be achieved only with the cooperation of the citizenry.

The cooperation that people can extend is to understand the severity of the disease while always remaining at homes and 100% adherence to the health guidelines.

The Government insists that the public should endure all these hardships for the well-being and protection of oneself, our children and the entire nation. Anyone who acts in a manner that harms the welfare of the society will strictly be dealt with according to the existing laws.