Although the Central Provincial Council has allocated funds for various development activities, priority should be given to help the Province overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Central Province Governor Lalith U Gamage.
“Steps have been taken to increase the number of PCR tests in the Province and install a new PCR machine at the COVID Therapeutic Hospital in Teldeniya,” he said.
Governor Lalith Gamage was speaking at a media briefing held at the Governor’s Auditorium yesterday to announce the decisions of the Central Provincial COVID-19 Steering Committee.
He said that steps have been taken to subject people to random PCR checks on all access roads from other Provinces to the Central Province and urged the public to refrain from entering the Province except as a matter of urgency or duty.
He said that whatever measures the Government took to control the spread of COVID-19 in the Central Province, it would be fruitless if the people behaved irresponsibly.
He said that all Local Government bodies in the Central Province have been instructed to implement public awareness programmes on the dangers of the spread of the COVID variant and called for the support of all in helping to mitigate the situation.
The Governor said that no matter how many notifications are issued, private buses carry more passengers than the number of seats and that the Transport Authority and the Police have been instructed to strictly enforce the law in this regard.
He said that steps had been taken to stop trading in buses to control the spread of the disease.
Central Province Chief Secretary Gamini Rajaratne, Central Provincial Director of Health Services Dr. Nihal Weerasuriya and Government officials were present on the occasion.