Speaking to ‘Asian Mirror’, Upul Rohana, President of the Public Health Inspectors Association said vendors in the Gampaha district can still sell meat with a certification from the PHI in the area“The only condition is that the meat has to be transported from another district,” he added.

He also said that Gampaha has been identified as a high risk area for Hoof and Mouth Disease while asserting that there was no religious sentiment whatsoever behind the ban.  

 Earlier, stalls of beef, mutton and pork were closed in seven districts namely Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Ampara, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura and Puttalam, following the spread of the disease among the cattle in those areas.