The Government has taken a decision to provide a bag of essential goods worth Rs.10,000 to those under self-quarantine to curb the spread of COVID-19 and minimize its impact on public lives.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) stated that the Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival Basil Rajapaksa said that essential goods will be distributed in areas where curfew is imposed as in the past.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) also stated that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pointed out that the programme will be implemented by assigning responsibilities to District and Divisional Secretaries, Grama Niladharis and Local Government Representatives and the monthly Elders’ Allowance will also be handed over at the doorstep similar to previous occasions.

The PMD further said that the measures taken by the Government to self-quarantine the infected at their homes instead of taking them to quarantine centres have so far produced better results and the President had pointed out in order to make it more effective, the process should be continuously monitored by the Medical Officer of Health, the Public Health Inspector, the Police and the Army. Accordingly, self-quarantined persons will be monitored.