Govt. cancels all May Day events as COVID-19 cases threaten to rise
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka has decided to cancel all May Day events in light of growing concerns of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks, Army Commander Gen Shavendra Silva said.
The presidential task force overseeing Sri Lanka’s pandemic prevention efforts, which Silva heads, announced the decision Tuesday (20) afternoon. According to a task force statement, representatives of major political parties have agreed with the decision to forego May Day celebrations for a second year running.
With new cases detected in the Pamunuwa shopping district and at a state bank in Colombo at the end of the April holidays, Sri Lanka’s health ministry has warned of a possible spike in COVID-19 cases in the next four to six weeks.
“Though we saw a decrease in cases over the past few days, it has once again been increasing gradually. We have to address this situation very cautiously. Clusters may form when cases increase,” Chief Epidemiologist Dr Sudath Samaraweera told reporters on Tuesday.
“If that happens, we will have to impose travel restrictions, which will affect the education of our children. It will affect our day-to-day life. So it is imperative that we follow health guidelines,” he added.
Samarawerea urged the public to follow all hygiene guidelines and to avoid public gatherings, particularly if one notices any COVID-19 symptoms.
-economynext.com