Sri Lanka locks down 3 towns as coronavirus spread persists

Kosgama, Awissawella and Ruwanwella, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of Colombo, were locked down from Thursday noon.

Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday imposed lockdown on three towns on the outskirts of the capital to contain the spread of Covid-19 during the festive season.

The two clusters that emerged in October — one centered on a garment factory and other on a fish market — account for most of Sri Lanka’s outbreak. (AP)

Kosgama, Awissawella and Ruwanwella, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of Colombo, were locked down from Thursday noon.

Lockdowns have been applied in dozens of towns and villages since a resurgence of the coronavirus in the Indian Ocean island nation in October. Schools and key public offices have been closed, public gatherings banned and restrictions imposed on public transport.

The two clusters that emerged in October — one centered on a garment factory and other on a fish market — account for most of Sri Lanka’s outbreak. The confirmed cases from the two clusters have grown to 34,959 on Thursday. Sri Lanka’s total since March is about 38,600.