Countrywide travel restrictions on non-essential travel were lifted at 4:00 a.m., but non-essential travel and services will only be permitted with several restrictions still in place, as per the guidelines issued by Director General of Health Services (DGHS).

DGHS Dr. Asela Gunawardena on Sunday issued several movement restrictions that will be enforced between 21 June and 5 July, stating that districts will be categorised based on patient detections and restrictions will be relaxed or tightened within districts as required.

The guidelines issued by the DGHS limit the number of persons permitted to leave the house per household to two, with public transport in the Western Province limited to essential services and at 50% capacity in other provinces. Only two persons can travel in hired transport.

Weddings will not be permitted, but marriage registrations can take place for up to ten persons including the bride and groom.

Funerals for non-COVID-19 related deaths can take place with up to 15 persons but must be held within 24 hours of the body being released.

Indoor events will not be permitted, and places of worship, libraries, cinemas and museums will remain closed. Concerts and carnivals will not be permitted. Parks will remain closed. Dining in at restaurants will not be permitted but takeaway and delivery is permitted for online orders. 

Bars, pubs, casinos, massage parlours, spas, nightclubs, betting centres, hotels, rest houses, and guest houses will remain closed in the island. Gyms will remain closed island-wide but walking paths will be open for persons not accompanied by others.

The minimum number of staff should be brought in, with as many encouraged to work from home, for utility and other essential services, and Public and private sector organisation heads must decide on the number of staff to bring in depending on the requirement.

Corporate meetings can be held for up to ten persons if essential in other districts, but will not be permitted in the Western Province. Workshops and seminars will be permitted for up to 25 persons in all provinces except the Western Province, where they will not be permitted. Financial institutions can operate but must not exceed 10 customers at any given time.

Industries, including apparel, must operate within a bio-secure bubble. The agriculture sector is permitted to operate. Outdoor vendors and weekly markets will be open under strict restrictions and economic centres will be open for wholesale transactions.

Registered mobile vendors can distribute goods, so can registered pedestrian vendors. The latter will not be permitted to operate in the Western Province.

Retail stores and bakeries can remain open across the island, but are limited to a customer capacity of three persons at a time. Supermarkets can operate at 25% capacity. Malls can operate in all areas but the Western Province, but cannot allow gatherings or organise entertainment programs.

Vehicle service centres and furniture stores can remain open. Tailors, communication outlets, textile stores and other retail outlets can only take up to three customers at a time. Salons and beauticians can only accept one customer at a time. Clothing stores must remain closed in the Western Province, but can operate at 25% capacity elsewhere.

Construction sites can only operate if on-site accommodation is provided for workers.

Courts will be open for urgent and essential services and visitors will not be allowed at prisons and elders’ and children’s homes.

Day-care centres can operate every other day at 50% capacity.

Examinations, besides those carried out by the Education Ministry, will not be permitted, and only individual sports practices will be permitted.

According to Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana, 20,000 police officers will be deployed to ensure guidelines are followed daily. He added that inter-provincial travel restrictions will remain in place and travel across provinces will be permitted only for essential services.

“Western Province is a province where COVID-19 patients are constantly being detected and where several clusters and sub-clusters have emerged. As such, constant checks will be carried out on travel in and out of the Western Province,” he said.

In addition to the 14 check points at entry points to the Western province, 700 small and instant checkpoints will be set up today. 

“We plan to deploy 8,000 officers for this,” DIG Ajith Rohana said.

He added that drones, police mobile units and plainclothesmen will also be used to ensure guidelines are followed.

“While travel restrictions were imposed, we arrested close to 1,500 persons per day and have arrested 40,000 persons over violations of travel restrictions. We will also have to enforce restrictions on movements in the coming days as well,” DIG Ajith Rohana added.

SLMA voices grave concern and disappointment over lifting of travel restrictions