Fort, Pettah, Borella and Welikada Police areas also under curfew

The quarantine curfew imposed on Gampaha District will remain in place until further notice, the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) announced yesterday.

NOCPCO, however, said that grocery stores, pharmacies and banks – state and private, would be opened in Gampaha today between 8.00 am and 10.00 pm. Bank staff could report to duty using their institutional identity cards, it said A quarantine curfew was imposed in Fort, Pettah, Borella and Welikada Police areas as well yesterday. Earlier quarantine curfew was imposed on Maradana, Dematagoda, Maligawatte, Keselwatte, Dam Street, Barber Street & Foreshore, Mattakuliya, Modera, Wellampitiya, Bloemendhal and Grandpass police areas in the Colombo District.

The total number of infections reported from the Minuwangoda and Peliyagoda Coronavirus clusters has increased to 4,050.

Special police teams have been deployed to arrest those who violate the quarantine curfew and Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said that they had arrested 165 persons in the 24-hours that ended at 8 am yesterday. A total of 924 persons had been arrested and 140 vehicles into custody up to yesterday morning from October 4, he said.