Public services including ports, state banks & transport declared essential services

The government has declared ports, petroleum, public transport including railway, services offered by district secretaries and Grama Niladhari officers, local government bodies, the central bank, state banks and insurance services  as essential services.

An extraordinary gazette notification declaring these services  essential was issued May 27 afternoon.

The decision was taken to ensure that these services aren’t interrupted, as per the gazette, in Sri Lanka’s ongoing curfew-style movement restrictions imposed in an effort to contain the COVID-19 epidemic.

Movement restrictions are in place island-wide till June 7.

Meanwhile, some 12,000 Grama Niladharis (public officials who head sub-units of divisional secretariats) launched a strike demanding vaccination against COVID-19.