As a country which did not go through a lock-down even during the 30-year war, there is no need to do so now in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, said Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He said while the other countries had recorded a large number of deaths in the wake of the COVID-19 infection, Sri Lanka had managed to mitigate such a situation.

Referring to the war, the president said he was able to bring the war to an end without shutting down any area when he was the Defence Secretary under President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“Even during the 30-year war, during the tenure of the Rajapaksa government, we did not take any decision to lockdown cities or the country. We managed to defeat LTTE terrorism unlike other countries in the world,” he said, referring to the Sri Lankan Civil War that began on July 23, 1983, following the insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the LTTE, also known as the Tamil Tigers), which fought to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam in the north and the east of the island. After an almost three-decade-long military the campaign, the Sri Lankan military defeated the Tamil Tigers in May 2009, bringing the civil war to an end.

The president said that “other countries may have the best medical facilities but we managed to cure infected people with our efforts.”So far, a total of 43 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the island nation.

The president said, doctors should look into this prevailing situation in a thoughtful manner and should take the most appropriate decisions to control the situation.

"The doctors are the cream of our society and in this critical situation, they should take the best decision. The COVID-19 pandemic is not a challenge to us.

"When comparing with other countries we maintain good standards. As leaders, we should be trustworthy to people in the country. I am the one who runs this country. Those holding responsible posts should do as I say," he said.

With regard to the general election, the President said he could not take a decision on postponing the election but the Election Commission has the authority to do so if necessary. “There is no need to reconvene parliament,” he said, adding that the situation should not be used to gain political advantage.

The President said declaring the public holiday was easy but doing so would have a negative impact on the day-to-day lives of the citizens and the functioning of the country.

He also requested the public to not to organise and participate in large gatherings such as wedding ceremonies, election campaigns and religious observances including Dhamma sermons at religious places of worship.