Sri Lanka to re-impose nationwide day-long curfew on Sunday to check coronavirus outbreak

Sri Lanka on Thursday decided to re-impose a day-long curfew across the country on Sunday, days after the government ordered easing of the nearly two-month long coronavirus lockdown.

To revive economic activities, President Rajapaksa on Monday ordered easing of the lockdown, which was in force since March 20 to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

A 24-hour curfew was lifted from the island on Monday, except for two main districts -- Colombo and Gampaha.

However, to keep a check on the spread of the coronavirus, the government on Thursday decided to declare curfew in the entire island on Sunday.

The curfew will be lifted on May 18 at 5 am in all areas, except in the Colombo and Gampaha districts, President Rajapaksa's office announced.

Only two out of the 25 administrative districts are currently observing curfew. Even in those two districts, which includes capital Colombo, business and offices resumed work this week, first time since March 20.

Sri Lanka currently has 918 COVID-19 positive cases and over 500 of them are security services personnel, mostly from the Sri Lankan Navy, and their close contacts.

Nearly 400 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals so far, health officials said.

President Rajapaksa has announced to donate his salary for three months to the COVID-19 Health Care and Social Security Fund.

The government had previously appealed to government employees to donate their May salary to the fund.

The government has also stopped importing motor vehicles for the use of ministers.

Meanwhile, Muslim community leaders on Thursday filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the rules followed to dispose the bodies of Muslim victims of COVID-19, which they allege is done contrary to the method practised by followers of the Islamic faith.

They expressed unhappiness over the health authorities' decision to allow only cremations for the COVID-19 victims.

Leader of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) and former Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen are among the minority community leaders who filed the plea.

They claimed that WHO guidelines allow burials for Muslims and the Sri Lankan Health Ministry had changed the original guidelines issued by them which allowed for both cremations and burials.