In Pictures: Long lines to buy essentials after curfew temporarily lifts

After the curfew that had been enforced in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Puttalam as well as the entire Northern Province due to the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) was temporarily lifted at 6.00am today (24), members of the public were seen rushing to shops in order to purchase essential items while vehicles also flocked to fuel stations. 

Many people were seen wearing masks or covering their faces with at least a handkerchief. A large number of persons were also seen adhering to the Government's social distancing guidelines which mandated that individuals should keep at least a 1m distance from each other in order to minimise the risk of infection. Some supermarkets had also taken steps to ensure that customers kept the required distance from each other and to only admit a limited number into the shops at any given time. 

At other places however, people were tightly bunched up together, completely ignoring the social distance guidelines. Public Health Inspectors and police were seen at some places instructing people to keep a safe distance from each other.

The curfew was reimposed in these areas again at 2.00pm. 

Our photographers captured these scenes in Colombo, Kesbewa, Meegoda and Puttalam today after the curfew was lifted. 

Pix by Sameera Weerasekara, Indika Handuwala Nilan Maligaspe and Jude Samantha