Army chief: No plans to impose islandwide curfew on weekends

COLOMBO: No plans to impose islandwide curfew on weekends, said Army Commander General Shavendra Silva at a special media briefing.

If there is considerable cases in an area, that area will isolated, he added,

And the public is urged to avoid gatherings and to stay home as far as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

His remarks came as government health experts said there is an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients after the New Year season and a new variant has arrived in the country.

The new variety is spreading rapidly than the previous first and second wave variants.

Professor Neelika Malavige, head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, stressed the importance of wearing masks properly to prevent the spread of the new virus strain.

The professor said that this strain also causes severe symptoms in the young community, although most of the previous strains do not show any symptoms.

There is a belief in society that this new strain is spread through the air, where the particles of an infected person remain in the air for about an hour and a half after exposure. That is possible.

The professor emphasized that it is important to maintain social distance and to wear masks correctly.

She said that it is very important to wear face masks not only in the outdoor environment such as on the road but also in the indoor environment such as offices and when talking to someone.