The Sri Lankan army and police patrolled the streets of the Northern Province as districts went into lockdown on Friday, with Sri Lanka's stay at home order lasting through the weekend.
Reports from Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu show that businesses remained shut throughout Friday, while police stopped and checked motorists in the main towns. Army patrols were reported throughout the Jaffna peninsula.
In Mullaitivu, troops on patrol stopped and intimidated journalists reporting on the lockdowns, preventing them photographing vehicle stops.
While the public have been compliant with the lockdown orders, civil society groups expressed concern that the latest Covid-19 regulations have been an excuse to deploy yet more military personnel in Tamil areas.
