Govt to announce further guidelines for isolated areas

Health authorities will today announce further guidelines for areas under lock down from today, Deputy Inspector General of Police Ajith Rohana said.

Though the curfew was lifted in all locations from 5 am, the government has brought several police areas, mainly in the Gampaha and Colombo districts, as isolated areas.

Police said that declaring the areas as isolated areas was a step beyond the curfew as it prevents all movements into these areas as well as out of the areas.

Under the curfew, movements from these areas were possible with the use of curfew passes, as well as identity cards issued to employees of more than 110 state and private institutions.

The move was in contrast to previous claims by the government that the curfew in all areas was being lifted in order to restore normalcy.

However,  health authorities defended the move saying that by isolating areas they could prevent the spread of the virus.

The Police areas under isolation in the Colombo district are : Mattakkuliya, Modara, Bloemendhal, Kotahena, Grandpass, Foreshore, Barber St, Maligawatta, Dematagoda, Wellampitiya, Keselwatta and Borella.

In the Gampaha district the areas under isolation are: Wattala, Peliyagoda, Kadawatha, Ragama, Negombo, Pamunugama, Ja -Ela and Spaugaskanda.

The Horana and Ingiriya areas in the Colombo district and Ruwanwella in Kegalle and Kuliyapitiya and Kurunegala towns also are under isolation.