Nationwide lockdown imposed till August 30

A nationwide lockdown will come into effect from tonight (10.00 pm) onwards till August 30 (4.00 am) considering the current pandemic situation prevailing in the country, a senior Cabinet Minister said.

“Nationwide Lockdown in effect from 10 pm today (20/08) to Monday (30/08). All essential services will function as normal. I sincerely request all #lka citizens to adhere to the law and #StayHome” Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella said in his official Twitter handle. 

The decision came in the wake of recent requests from the health authorities, religious leaders, and traders associations to impose a lock -down in order to curb the rapid spread of the virus across the country. 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is scheduled to address the nation, President’s spokesman Kingsley Rathnayake said. The date and the time of his address will be announced later, the Presidential Spokesman said in a tweet today. 

Ten political parties affiliated with the government yesterday proposed to lock down the country for three weeks.

They too have written to the President requesting a lockdown, “as vaccinating age groups below 18 years would take at least another six weeks and the expected result a further month, and the situation could be much worse then.”

The parties have also made 7 proposals, some of which are, calling the government to take actions against persons who manipulate COVID statistics, to expedite the vaccination programme through the private sector and to use traditional and western medicine practices to eradicate the disease.