Curfew in 21 districts relaxed today
April 28, 2020 08:21 am
Curfew in 21 districts was lifted at 5.00 am today (28) and will be re-imposed at 8.00 pm on the same day.
The President’s Media Division has stated that curfew in these districts will be effective from 8.00 pm to 5.00 am until Friday (May 01).
Curfew for these 21 districts was originally scheduled to be relaxed on Monday (27).
However, the government extended the island-wide curfew, which was in force throughout the last weekend, until 5.00 am today, in order to facilitate the Tri-forces personnel on leave to return to their respective camps and bases as their leave was cancelled with effect from Sunday (26).
In the meantime, the ongoing curfew in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam will remain in force till 5.00 am on May 04.
The private sector entities have been asked to open for work at 10.00 am daily. The PMD has instructed the heads of both state and private sector organizations to plan out their operations to be carried out from May 4th onwards.
As a measure to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, the public are urged to refrain from unnecessarily coming to roads and gathering at various other places.
People are allowed to leave their homes only to purchase essential items such as food and medicines. They are advised to select the closest outlet located within walking distance from their homes to make such purchases.
Even for essential purposes, people are permitted to leave their places of dwelling based on the last digit of their National Identity Cards (NICs):
Monday : People with No. 1 or 2 as the last digit
Tuesday : People with No. 3 or 4 as the last digit
Wednesday : People with No. 5 or 6 as the last digit
Thursday : People with No. 7 or 8 as the last digit
Friday : People with No. 9 or 0 as the last digit
Travelling between districts has been strictly limited only to official and other essential purposes.
The PMD has stated that if any area where the curfew is eased, 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.
