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No reprieve in lockdown restrictions until June 7 as public failed to follow rules, says Govt.
View(s):The public’s failure to adhere to rules when travel restrictions were eased last Tuesday (May 25) has resulted in the extension of travel restrictions, without a break, until June 7, the Government said on Friday. The Government had earlier said there would be easing of restrictions tomorrow and June 4.
Although it was stipulated that only one member of a family should set out by foot to the nearest shop or supermarket to buy essentials, on Tuesday many vehicles were seen on the roads and people were seen flocking to shops, supermarkets, wholesale and retail markets.
Some questioned the practicality of allowing just one member of a family to set out by foot to buy essentials to last for about a week. The image of one man using a wheelbarrow to carry the grocery he bought went viral on social media.
Ranjith Vithanage, President of the National Movement for Consumer Rights, said if the Government had deployed mobile services to sell food items there would not have been such scenes.
“We noticed on Tuesday that people had to pay exorbitant prices for essentials as prices were not displayed and after standing for long hours they were too fed up to question the increase in prices. The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) failed to monitor the situation. While police take legal action against those violating travel restriction, the CAA should at least do random inspections and take action against errant traders,” he said.
“Mobile trucks with essential goods and vegetables should be deployed everywhere–not just on main roads but on byroads too. There are elderly and sick people who are unable to stand in long queues and do not know how to order online, said Housewives Association’s president Dianna Anne Rizvi.
People do not need to panic as there is no shortage of items. Wholesale traders are allowed to operate, but things have to be coordinated at a local level for people to be able to buy these items, said G. Rajendran, President of the Essential Food Commodities Importers and Traders Association.
The Government Information Department on Friday said Gen. Shavendra Silva, head of National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the Spread of COVID-19, had instructed District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries to organise mobile sales services to provide essential food items in their respective areas.