Sri Lanka has reimposed a countrywide 24-hour curfew after a surge in the number of coronavirus cases, most of them navy sailors who were searching for those evading quarantine.
The 46 new infections on Friday were the highest in a day. The Indian Ocean island nation has confirmed 420 cases of the virus, including seven deaths, and has ramped up testing.
Sri Lanka partially lifted a month-long curfew on Monday during daytime hours in more than two thirds of the country.
The new curfew remains in effect until Monday. Police have arrested more than 30,000 violators.
Among the newly infected were 30 navy sailors from a camp on the outskirts of the capital, Colombo. A total 60 sailors so far have been infected and the camp has been isolated.
The virus is believed to have entered the camp through sailors who were deployed to search for a group of drug addicts who had contact with a Covid-19 patient and were evading quarantine.
Sri Lanka’s health ministry said on Saturday that it has significantly increased the number of coronavirus tests being done. Some 1,500 tests were performed on Saturday more than double the roughly 700 tests on Thursday, and over 350 more than the 1,142 tests on Friday, according to the ministry.China reported no new deaths from the coronavirus for the 10th straight day. Twelve new cases were reported on Saturday 11 brought from overseas and one local transmission in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang bordering Russia, according to the National Health Commission.
Just 838 people remain hospitalised with Covid-19 while another 1,000 are undergoing isolation and monitoring for being either suspected cases or having tested positive for the virus while showing no symptoms. China, widely believed to be the source of the global pandemic, has reported 4,632 deaths among 82,816 cases.
