Sri Lanka bans all public gatherings as COVID-19 cases soar

Sri Lankan authorities have banned all public gatherings including protests as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise throughout the country, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The police said all public gatherings and protests had been banned until further notice under the instructions issued by the Director General of Health Services.

A letter to this effect has also been sent to the police chief.

The police have warned that anyone taking part in such gatherings will face arrests.

"There is a high risk of the spread of COVID-19 disease by engaging in activities such as public gatherings and protests," police officials said.

"If anyone is caught in such activities, we will arrest them for violating quarantine laws," police officials added.

Sri Lanka is presently facing a third wave of COVID-19 with authorities warning of a spread of the Delta variant.

The country has to date recorded 267,433 cases since the first local patient was detected in March last year, while 3,313 deaths have been reported.

Presently the active patient count in the country stands at 25,989. (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )