Sri Lanka lifting pandemic curfew to aid economy

Published On: November 5, 2020 10:19 AM NPT By: Associated Press

A shop vendor wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus waits for customers in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Malaysia extended restricted movements in its biggest city Kuala Lumpur, neighboring Selangor state and the administrative capital of Putrajaya from Wednesday in an attempt to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

COLOMBO, Nov 5: Sri Lankan authorities will end a pandemic curfew imposed in parts of the country, saying people themselves should take the responsibility to avoid being infected the new coronavirus.

Army Commander Shavendra Silva heads a COVID-19 task force and he says President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is keen that a 10-day curfew now in force in Sri Lanka’s Western Province and some other areas be lifted Monday. Silva says the country’s economy can’t sustain continued closure, with daily wage earners and small businesses being particularly hit hard.

He told Sri Lankans, “The country must move forward and the responsibility is with you the public.”

Sri Lanka is in the midst of a second wave of virus infections after the detection of large clusters centered on a garment factory and the country’s main wholesale fish market.