Health authorities on 2 and 3 May are to evaluate the Covid-19 situation in the country before making a final decision on the lifting of curfew in the Western Province and Puttalam District, according to the Sri Lanka Police. According to the statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat on 25 April, the police curfew imposed on the Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara Districts in the Western Province and the Puttalam District is scheduled to be lifted on 4 May. Speaking to The Morning, Police Spokesperson SP Jaliya Senaratne said the decision on whether the curfew imposed on the Western Province and the Puttalam District should be lifted or not would be taken by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), after evaluating the situation on 2 and 3 May. “Once the decision is taken by the DGHS and is communicated to the Sri Lanka Police, the Police will take the necessary steps to reimpose or lift the curfew, and it will communicate it to the Presidential Secretariat through the special Task Force on Covid-19. The final decision will be announced by the Presidential Secretariat,” SP Senaratne said. When asked whether the situation in other areas where the curfew is lifted is under control, he said there were minor incidents reported, but the overall situation was under control. Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) also noted that the decision on lifting the curfew imposed in high-risk areas should be taken after evaluating the situation on 2 and 3 May. “Once the curfew is lifted and people’s movements restart, an increase in the number of Covid-19 patients can be expected. But, necessary steps should be taken to keep the number of such patients at a manageable level,” GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Naveen de Zoysa told The Morning. The association reiterated that the spread of the virus could only be traced by increasing the number of tests. By Maheesha Mudugamuwa