Nov 11, Colombo: The Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena has issued a new gazette notification containing quarantine rules to be followed in organizing events and meetings.

Accordingly, permission should be obtained from the Ministry of Health for activities such as meetings and gatherings, the gazette notification states.

It states the following:

“The Proper Authority for the whole of Sri Lanka, may from time to time, determine the following, relating to a gathering, activity or event within or outside a deceased locality in relation to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID - 19) for a period determined by such proper Authority:-

(a) place of gathering, activity, event or similar place of meeting and, setting, structure or outline thereof ;
(b) the maximum number of persons or, allowable capacity or percentage of total capacity permitted to participate in such place of gathering, activity event or similar place of meeting.
(2) A person shall not allow or take part in any gathering, activity, event or similar place of meeting, in contravention of sub-regulation (1).
(3) Every determination made under sub-regulation (1) shall be published in, the official website of the Ministry of Health or Gazette.’’

The President yesterday criticized the Opposition for using new normalization only for protests and demonstrations as there is a risk of the COVID-19 spreading again due to various activities including protests and demonstrations and the situation could lead to the country being shut down again.