All pharmacies across the country will open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm on Thursday (09).
This was decided at the meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Essential Services, headed by its Chairman Basil Rajapaksa and Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, yesterday.
As per the decision, all pharmacies island-wide, even the ones in high-risk zones for COVID-19 where the curfew is in force until further notice, will be open for services. Curfew imposed in other districts, excluding for Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttalam, Kandy, and Jaffna, is to be temporarily lifted this Thursday.
The Task Force also decided that all Ayurveda hospitals should operate during curfew hours.
Every dispensary or registered dispensary in each Divisional Secretariat is also permitted to operate a mobile service during the curfew.
Steps have been taken to import Coriander, Ginger and Tree Tumeric which are currently in high demand.
In the meantime, it was also decided that medicines for patients registered with the Department of Ayurveda will be home-delivered via post.