Food delivery allowed during travel restrictions - Police

Delivery of food, ordered via phone or online, will be allowed despite the 03-day island-wide travel restrictions, Police Media Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said addressing a press conference held today (May 13).

The government implemented an island-wide curfew period from 11.00 pm tonight until 04.00 on Monday (May 17) to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Accordingly, cooked food deliveries, restaurants, supermarkets, or shops that provide dry food items are allowed to make deliveries using their own delivery methods, the DIG said. However, no customers are allowed to visit any of these establishments during the 3-day travel restrictions.

No commercial institutions except for pharmacies are allowed to remain open and conduct business during the next 3 days, he added.

Manning Market, Economic Centers, and fish markets will be allowed to remain open for wholesale activities. Traders who buy wholesale stocks may deliver to their customers via their own delivery services, the DIG said.

Meanwhile, persons engaged in essential services such as health, water, electricity, telecommunication, media, harbor, airport, and private security services, are allowed to travel for duty using their official Identity Card.  ​
However, they must confirm that their services are required within the days of travel restrictions, if not they will be acted against under the quarantine law, the Police Spokesperson said.

Wedding registries scheduled within the upcoming 3 days may carry on with the registration process at their homes with only the couple to be wedded, the parents, the registrar, and the witnesses in attendance. The Police and the health officials in the area should be informed of such events beforehand. However, no wedding functions will be allowed during this period, the DIG said.

Persons traveling to the airport should produce their ticket confirming the flight and those who are returning after dropping off passengers at the airport must also produce a printed or electronic document confirming this.

The DIG further said that persons engaged in agriculture at their own homes, lands, or paddy fields are also allowed to carry on their activities. However, travel must be restricted only to their homes, lands, or paddy fields.

Meanwhile, factories may carry out operations under the bio-bubble method and the transport of the employees must be provided by the factories.

Nearly 20,000 police officers will be deployed to overlook the travel restrictions and other regulations from 10.00 pm tonight, according to DIG Rohana. Persons violating these regulations will be arrested, vehicles used for them will be seized and such places be sealed off by the Police, he added.

Once 03-day travel restrictions are lifted at 04.00 am on Monday, the island-wide travel restrictions will be reinstated from 11.00 pm on the same night and conclude at 04.00 am the next day.

From Monday onwards, a 5-hour island-wide curfew will be implemented from 110.00pm to 04.00 am daily and people will be allowed to leave their homes for work or any other essential purposes based on the last digit of their NIC numbers.

Accordingly, those who have 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 as the last digit of their NIC will be allowed to leave their houses on Even Days. People with 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 as the last digit of their NIC will be permitted to move out on Odd Days