The Government isolated 43 Grama Niladhari Divisions and a Police Division from April 21 to control the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Accordingly, three Grama Niladhari Divisions and the Kuliyapitiya Police Division in the Kurunegala district, two Grama Niladhari Divisions and the Dambulla Economic Centre in the Matale district, 15 Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Kalutara district, seven in Trincomalee, four in Gampaha, four in Galle, four in Moneragala, two in Polonnaruwa and two in Colombo are now either isolated or with travel restrictions.
In the latest development, two Grama Niladhari divisions in Piliyandala (Nampamunuwa and Gorakapitiya), two in Ambalangoda (Godahena and Thalgasgoda), two in Dehiattakandiya (Dehiattakandiya and Kadirapura) and one in Kalawana (Hapugoda) is under isolation from yesterday.
Minister of Education Prof. G. L. Peiris also told the media yesterday that all schools will remain closed until May 7. However, the Ministry of Education hopes to resume educational activities virtually, until the schools are safe to operate. Head of the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), Army Commander General Shavendra Silva said that all activities of hotels, pubs and restaurants were prohibited after 10 pm yesterday for two weeks. Earlier, the Government decided not to permit weddings and all other events and functions, for two weeks starting from tomorrow. The Ministry of Health has called upon the public to stop any form of physical gathering at religious places to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
The Ministry has issued regulations to limit the number of devotees at religious places to 25 at a time. The Wakfs Board of Sri Lanka has also decided to temporarily suspend Taraweeh, Jummah prayers and other congregational activities in all mosques until further notice.
Court proceedings at all court complexes will also be limited during the next week (May 3-7).
Sri Lanka reported 11,493 active Covid-19 cases yesterday morning of the 108,146 total number of cases.
Moreover, 678 people have so far died from the virus infection while 95,775 persons returned to their homes after medical care. Under the vaccination program, 925,242 persons have already received the vaccine. About 23,000 frontline workers and the military have received the second jab of the Covishield vaccine as well.