Island wide quarantine curfew further extended till October 1

The islandwide quarantine curfew which is currently effective has been further extended till October 1-  4.00 am (Friday), Cabinet Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said today. 

Stressing that conditional lockdown will continue October 1, Minister Rambukwella said that government essential services impacting the economy will be allowed to function and those conditions would be announced soon. 

“As per President @GotabayaR, I will be consulting with Hon. @basilrajapaksa to decide which government institutions will be kept open as essential services that contribute to the economy.” Minister Rambukwella said in a tweet published on his official Twitter handle. 

According to a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat, steps have been taken to end the weeks-long islandwide lockdown by October 1 and open the country towards restoring normalcy and re-opening government offices.

During the Covid-19 Task Force meeting held today, it was decided to administer the Pfizer vaccine on those aged between 15-19 and children above 12 years with disabilities.

President inquired about the vaccination programme for the children and Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena pointed out that the Committee of Health Experts has recommended that vaccine priority be given to children between the ages of 12-19 years who are suffering from chronic diseases. 

The Director General of Health Services stated that they have planned to conduct the vaccination only at the relevant clinics with the permission of the parents, subject to the supervision of the clinical specialist.

Despite the prevalent challenging situation, the Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa said that the economy was able to maintain a high level of growth in the first and second quarters of this year and the Minister expressed gratitude to all parties, including Health and Defence sectors, for their commitment in this regard. 

The President instructed to maintain the essential services as before without disrupting the daily life and economic activities of the people and further instructed to keep all the economic centers open.

The discussion also focused on the opening of rural schools with less than 200 students. In this context, the President emphasized the need for the Provincial Directors of Health Services to work in close coordination with the Ministry of Education. The importance of conducting awareness programmes for parents and children on health recommendations was also highlighted during the meeting.