COVID-19: Sri Lanka tightens guidelines with night curfews

The night curfew will be effective from 10 PM to 4 AM from August 16 until further notice, said Army Commander Shavendra Silva, the head of the national operations center for COVID-19 prevention. 

The authorities have also banned all public gatherings. 

Weddings at homes and reception halls would be banned from August 17. Restaurants would function with only at a 50 per cent capacity. Earlier, the government had reduced the number of guests invited for wedding receptions. 

The move came as the government ignored medical professionals’ advice to order a total lockdown. 

They opined that a four-week lockdown could arrest the current surge in COVID-19 cases as hospitals have been pushed to their limits. 

Health authorities, meanwhile, indicated that the western province with the capital district of Colombo could be subject to more restrictions as it is the worst-hit region. 

Public transport among provinces remained suspended. 

Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a third wave of coronavirus since mid-April, the health officials said, adding that the virulent delta variant has spread to all districts.