Over 26,000 arrested in Sri Lanka for violating curfew

Sri Lankan Police on Tuesday said over 26,000 people had been arrested from across the country for violating a countrywide curfew which has been in place since March 20.

In a statement, the police said this included over 1,600 people being arrested within the past 24 hours alone for loitering on the roads, gathering and consuming alcohol at public grounds, traveling by vehicle on the roads, keeping restaurants open, behaving in an unruly manner on the roads while intoxicated and engaging in trading, defying curfew rules.

Over 6,700 vehicles have also been seized since March 20 and all those arrested will be produced before local courts in the coming days.

Sri Lanka imposed a countrywide curfew on March 20, which was lifted for a few hours last week in separate districts for people to re-stock on essential items.

Sri Lanka has to date detected 218 COVID-19 infected patients out of which 59 have recovered and been discharged. Another 142 are under observation in designated hospitals.

Thousands are under quarantine in their homes or at quarantine centers.