Record Covid deaths force lockdown in Sri Lanka

After recording its highest single-day Covid death toll of 186, Sri Lanka has announced a 10-day lockdown starting Friday night.

Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella announced that the island-wide lockdown will come into effect from Friday night and will end on August 30. However, essential services would function as normal, he said.

As per the latest available records, on August 18, as many as 186 deaths and 3,793 new cases were reported, taking the overall death toll to 6,790.

With the island nation facing its worst-ever bout of the pandemic, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is set to address the nation on Friday night. The President is likely speak primarily on the pandemic and the ‘dire’ economic situation that the country is facing.

Health workers, experts, opposition parties and 10 allies of the government have demanded to shut the country to control the surging deaths and new cases.

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