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Households will have to depend on deliveries for longer
A lengthy curfew due to the coronavirus means, households in the Western Province will have to get used to home deliveries of essential groceries, health officials caution.
The Colombo Municipal Council, Chief Medical Officer, Ruwan Wijayamuni, said people will need to rely on mobile vendors for vegetables and daily necessities, even if the curfew is lifted.
Social distancing needs to be maintained and food must be delivered by employees of producers.
“Health Ministry has advised us to only provide approval for food delivery services under the approval of public health officials and Medical Officer of Health in the area. We have strict guidelines,’’ he said.
Public Health Inspectors will check the hygienic conditions under which food is delivered to homes.
He also said guidelines have also been issued on hair salon operations.
So far, people depend on vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat being delivered to their houses because shops and fresh food markets are closed.
For traders, the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Center is operating despite the curfew. The manager said it will remain open from Friday, May 8 from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm.
“We are allowing the farmers to sell their goods, but regulate the number of people coming into the premises,’’ he said. Farmers are asked to wear masks.
Every night the centre is disinfected, and PHIs and the police ensure people keep their distance to help reduce the possible spread of the virus during operating hours.
Meanwhile, small-scale rice millers have decided to begin a 10-day strike from tomorrow saying they are not able to produce rice at controlled prices.
During the curfew they were willing to mill the paddy stocks at the Paddy Marketing Board storages, but did not receive any stocks, the millers say.
If the government provides electricity and wages for workers, their costs would drop, they say.
The chairman of the Sri Lanka Rice Producers Cooperative Association, K.A.D Abeykeerthi said millers can not produce rice for Rs 90 because there is no way to buy paddy for less than Rs 50.
He said that small and medium scale millers cannot purchase paddy for Rs 50 and are unable to produce rice for Rs 98 because of high costs.
There had not been any response although they wrote to the presidential task force. Meeting were also held with senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Trade and food committee, the millers said.