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Authorities beset with COVID worries after avurudu fiesta
From crowded shopping and large gatherings at beaches and in the hill country to reckless and drunk driving, the way people celebrated the National New Year has become a serious cause for concern among health officials and police.
The country’s Chief Epidemiologist Sudath Samaraweera said people showed scant regard for the health guidelines issued in view of the Avurudu celebrations, as seen in large crowds at shopping areas and holiday hotspots.
“We may have to expect an increase in COVID-19 cases in the next four to six weeks,” he told the Sunday Times.
He urged people to strictly adhere to the health guidelines and good hygiene practices, when visiting relatives and friends in the coming days. He said those undergoing home quarantine should take extra precaution.
“We saw a similar spike in the number of covid cases after Christmas last year. This time the crowds were bigger. Therefore a rise in cases is much possible,” Dr. Samaraweera said.
Little adherence to health guidelines: Holidaymakers hit Nuwara Eliya. Pic by Shelton Hettiarachchi
The chief epidemiologist said people who showed flu-like symptoms or suspected they might have contracted COVID-19 should immediately visit a nearby government hospital for a COVID test and treatment.
He said education officials had been instructed to keep a close watch on students who might fall victim to the virus as all schools will open for the new term tomorrow (19) after holidays.
Just as in the Avurudu holiday period in previous years, reckless and drunk driving was a highlight of this New Year, too, with about 800 people arrested for driving under the influence of liquor on April 13 and 14.
Police Spokesman Ajith Rohana said their crackdown on drunk drivers would continue island-wide. He said no person arrested for drunk driving would be released on police bail. Instead, they would be produced before courts which can impose a fine up to Rs. 25,000 and cancel or suspend the driving licence of offenders.
Deputy Inspector General Rohana also warned that those who refuse to undergo breathalyzer tests would also be considered as drunk drivers, while drivers who were suspected to have taken narcotic drugs would be sent for a blood test no sooner they were detected.
Thirty people lost their lives and about 150 wounded in road accidents on Avurudu Day and the following day, April 15. During the past week, the daily death toll from road accidents ranged between 10 and 16 with the highest number of 16 fatalities reported on April 15. According to police, of the deaths, a majority were motorbike riders. About 80 percent of the accidents were due to head on collision and speeding or reckless driving. (See related story on this page)
Alcohol intoxication not only resulted in increased road traffic accidents, but also was the main cause for injuries from violence and falls, said National Hospital’s Accident Service Director Dr. Pradeep Ratnasekare.
He said the hospital’s admission records for the Avurudu period showed a fifty percent increase in cases involving accidents and violence, when compared to last year.
Another salient feature of the Avurudu this year was that there was a drastic reduction in the lighting of firecrackers. This was perhaps due to pleas and requests from pet owners before the New Year.
While the southern expressway recorded its highest income, it also recorded a major accident involving more than a dozen vehicles.
According to Southern Expressway Traffic Operation Centre Deputy Director R.A.D. Kahatapitiya, about 15 vehicles were involved in a collision on April 14 between Gelanigama and Dodangoda interchanges, causing a major traffic congestion that extended to more than five kilometres.
“This is mainly due to the lack of lane discipline and not maintaining the required safe distance,” he said, while attributing the heavy traffic flow to people from Colombo and suburbs going to Kataragama to be there when the New Year dawns.
Expressway Operations Maintenance and Management Division Acting Director J.N. Lodiwick said 764,265 vehicles used the Southern Expressway, the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway and the Outer Circular Highway from April 8 to 15 bringing in an income of Rs. 250 million.
He requested those coming to Colombo today (18) to maintain the required distance between vehicles and pay attention to the vehicles in front while not changing lanes to accelerate.
Meanwhile, the hilly region attracted many local tourists escaping the humid and hot temperature in their areas. For their entertainment in Nuwara Eliya , there was plenty of entertainment events including the spring festival and horse racing at the Royal Turf Club. School vacation and discounted offers by hotels were seen as another reason for the large crowd at upcountry holiday destinations. Many hotels, lodges, homestays and bungalows were fully booked.
Nuwara Eliya Mayor Chandana Lal Karunaratne said the council requested visitors to maintain social distance and follow other health guidelines to prevent the country’s premier holiday city from emerging as a COVID cluster.
“Hand-washing facilities have been installed in the city and sanitizers are available for free or for purchase in many places. We got volunteers to ensure that local tourists wore masks and maintained the social distance in public places,” the mayor said.