Apr 25, Colombo: The ongoing curfew in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam will remain in force till 5.00am on Monday, May 04th, President’s Media Division announced.

In all other districts, curfew will be lifted at 5.00am on Monday, the 27th April and will be re-imposed at 8.00pm on the same day. In these districts, curfew will be effective from 8.00 pm to 5.00am till Friday, the 01st 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 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 10.00am daily. During the next week, heads of the both state and private sector organizations should plan out their operations to be carried out from May 4th onwards.

Only 1/3rd 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 office should work from their homes. The responsibility to decide who should come to office and who should work from home lies with head of the 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.

Accordingly, those with No. 1 or 2 as the last digit of the National Identity Card are allowed to leave their homes on Mondays.

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

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.

Traveling 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.