(1 Oct 2021) Sri Lanka lifted a six-week lockdown Friday as COVID-19 cases and deaths declined, but will restrict people's movement for work and obtaining essentials only, which are running short in the island country amid economic worries.
The lockdown was imposed August 20 and extended three times as Sri Lanka grappled with a COVID-19 surge caused by the delta variant.
The government has ramped up vaccination in recent months, with more than 50% of the 22 million people now fully inoculated.
The lifting of the lockdown is hoped to boost tourism and ease a decline in foreign exchange that had led to a shortage of essential items such as milk powder, sugar and cooking gas.
Long lines formed outside shops in the capital Colombo and its suburbs as people rushed to buy milk powder.
"Milk is not available in the market, the full cream milk Ratthi, like Ratthi (brand of milk powder)is not available," said Sam Rshideen, a local resident outside a shop. "We have to stop all the other work and come here and stay in the queue."
Officials and traders said more than 800 containers carrying essentials were stuck in the country's main port due to the lack of US dollars to pay for them.
State Minister of Consumer Protection Lasantha Alagiyawanna said the government was taking steps to resolve the problem and will release 50 million US dollars to importers to clear cargoes of essential items including lentils and milk powder.
Sri Lanka's government has curtailed foreign currency outflows after the island nation's economy contracted 3.6% last year, its deepest recession since independence from Britain 73 years ago.
The government has also cut back on imports of cars, farm chemicals and hundreds of other foreign-made goods.
The move to save foreign exchange is apparently to ensure the country can meet foreign debt repayment totaling 1.4 billion US dollars over the next three months, and rising debt obligation that is expected to rise to 29 billion US dollars over the next five years.
The Sri Lankan rupee has been gradually weakening against other major currencies, making such repayments more costly in local terms.
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