All credit to the Government of Sri Lanka, that last night announced a three-day holiday period up to Thursday, March 19 excluding essential services involving health, transport, food supplies, banks and district secretariats. It said this special holiday declared as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will apply to all state institutions, departments and corporations. The government has requested mercantile sector employers to grant this holiday to their employees too.
The government may consider to further extend this holiday after a close study over the spread of COVID-19 virus; with the total number of COVID-19 infected locals standing at 28 by last evening with 10 more patients testing positive for the viral infection. At present, there are 84 Sri Lankans and eight foreigners under observation at various hospitals countrywide and another 880 have been identified as at risk and remain under domestic quarantine at the Batticaloa Campus Quarantine Center.
Northern Breeze 