Sri Lanka has enough food for several months, the Ministry of Agriculture said, while urging people not to crowd around shops when curfew imposed to combat Coronavirus is lifted as the Indian Ocean Island’s coronavirus count went to 97 overnight.

Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry said 19 persons were confirmed as having Covid – 19, 222 were under observation by 1030 March 23 and the first two recovered patients were discharged.

Sri Lanka said it is releasing the first quarantined persons.

Sri Lanka’s Army Chief Shavendra Silva asked the public not to discriminate against anyone released from quarantine.

The ministry said private super markets and state shops have sufficient stocks for people to buy whenever there is no curfew.

Arrangements have also been made to distribute pre-packed packages priced at 500 and 1000 rupees at housing schemes and apartments which are densely populated.

Sri Lanka’s Prima Ceylon said there was three months worth of wheat in the country and it had the ability to distribute food around the country.

The ministry said economic centres in Dambulla, Meegoda and Narahenpita were active with trucks full of vegetables coming and going to many parts of the country.