LNP – Advisable to extend lockdown for another two weeks: State Minister Fernandopulle

State Minister Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle said that it is her personal opinion that the country should be closed for another week or two for the control of Covid 19.

Speaking to the media after donating equipment to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama, she said that the President and the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 will take further decision whether the quarantine curfew could be extended.

Citing a statement of Prof. Neelika Malavige, the State Minister said that with the spread of the Delta variant, there may be as many as 50,000 unidentified Covid infected people in the society at a time when around 5,000 cases reported daily.

” Therefore i think the quarantine restrictions should be extended for at least two weeks to prevent the spread of the virus. However on the other hand it will also affect for the daily wage earners. People can be protected from Covid disease by always following self-discipline and adhering to health habits,” she said.

The state minister said that it would take at least four weeks to see the decrease in the number of Covid-19 deaths which are being reported at the moment .

She said the government alone cannot contain the virus and that it is also the responsibility of people to adhere with health guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus.

She requested those who have not vaccinated yet to get the available vaccine without finding a brand.

She said some persons are looking for certain vaccine claiming that it would required them to travel overseas. “But I think it will take another year to visit to foreign countries and I request the public to obtain any vaccine available at the nearest vaccination centre,”she said.