Renowned scientist and health expert Malik Peiris has recommended a 14-day lockdown of the country in order to contain the current spreading of the COVID-19 in the country.
In an article written by, Peiris who is Chair/Professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong and public health expert Kamani Mendis, professor emeritus of the University of Colombo, have pointed out that a total countrywide lockdown of 14 days will lead to interrupting at least one (preferably two) cycles of virus transmission in the community.
"Such an intervention would give an opportunity for the health sector, currently at or beyond breaking point, to catch its collective breath, to face the future. "
"Otherwise, exponential increase in the number of cases (and deaths) will lead to health staff succumbing and the consequent collapse of the health system," they have explained.
The two experts have stressed that all persons should remain in their homes at all times for a period of at least 14 days, and all schools, industries, commercial enterprises and places of worship to remain closed, with the exceptions listed below.
These exempted places will be subject to social distancing, capacity restriction, wearing of face-masks, hand sanitising and operating under conditions of optimal ventilation.
1. All essential services to be functional.
2. A minimum number of grocery stores, pharmacies, and fuel station to remain open in every district. A limited number of vegetable, fruit and fish/meat, bakery and other food delivery vehicles permitted to operate on the basis of permits.
3. Restaurants able to prepare food for delivery on order, but not allow in-house dining.
4. Government departments deemed essential, to keep an office open for a few hours a day and function with a skeleton staff on a roster basis.
5. Any organisation or enterprise may allow its employees to work from home.
6. A person can leave home only for a health need, any other emergency, or to purchase food supplies, but only one person can leave home at any one time for these purposes.
7. Gatherings of more than four people to be prohibited.
8. Outdoors agricultural work permitted to continue.
"We request, in addition, that all ongoing preventive measures be enforced rigorously, including increasing vaccination coverage, and that case management and treatment interventions are greatly strengthened in the country," they said.
(Mirror)