COVID-19 health regulations to be gazetted into laws

The Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi says that steps will be taken to gazette the recommendations issued by the Ministry of Health for the control of COVID-19 into a law.

The Minister stated that the new laws regarding health regulations will be published in a gazette notification within the coming two days.

As a result, the courts will be able to impose severe punishments on those who violate the quarantine laws, she added.

“I hope to issue a gazette notification within two days, to enable legal action against those who do not comply with the health provisions in the areas declared by the Director-General of Health Services as a virus-affected area.

This gazette will be issued in such a way that those who do not wear masks in those areas, who do not practice the one-meter social distance, or who do not measure body temperature at the entrance to certain premises, can be legally penalized.”

Accordingly, those who violate these health provisions in areas declared as virus-infected areas can be penalized with a maximum fine of Rs 10,000 or 06-month imprisonment or both, she added.