President Orders Strict Monitoring

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed officials to strictly monitor the self-quarantine process currently underway to contain the spread of COVID–19, even after the curfew is lifted.

All the families identified as having close contacts with COVID-19 infected persons were directed to self-quarantine at their homes. Their number is close to 84,000 in 31,457 houses islandwide. In the Western Province, 40,676 persons belonging to 13,911 families are currently undergoing self-quarantine.

President Rajapaksa issued these directives during the daily meeting with the Members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID–19 Prevention held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (5).

While paying special attention to close associates and the areas they belong to, in the event infected persons are found in the community, the President advised to, if necessary, declare those areas as isolated. Importance of concentrating on estates and flats was discussed at length.

It was decided to restrict the economic centres to wholesale trade only. The President noted that trade activities should continue while strictly adhering to health guidelines while continuously conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. There is no need to obtain curfew passes for lorries transporting essential goods such as vegetables and fruits between Districts.

Every step has been taken to continue operations at the Free Trade Zone in Katunayaka. The President also instructed to carry out random and continuous PCR tests in the Trade Zone under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and the Navy with the assistance of private hospitals.

(Source: Ceylon Today)