Sri Lanka imposes night curfew as COVID-19 spreads

COLOMBO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan authorities on Sunday announced that a nationwide curfew would come into effect from Monday night until further notice as the number of COVID-19 cases surpassed the 350,000-mark.

Police health officials inoculate people with a dose of the Sinopharm vaccine against the COVID-19 at a vaccination camp held in Colombo on August 14, 2021.

Army Commander and Head of the National Operations Center for the Prevention of COVID-19, General Shavendra Silva said the curfew would be imposed from 10:00 p.m. till 4:00 a.m. daily to prevent people from leaving their homes.

However essential services will be allowed on the roads to complete their work, Silva said.

Sri Lanka is presently in the midst of a third wave of the pandemic with the overall patient count reaching over 354,000.

The total death toll from the virus reached 6,096.

Health officials have urged people to remain indoors as much as possible as doctors said the Delta variant was spreading in many districts, leading to hospitals being filled with infected patients.

Sri Lanka's Health Ministry has made it mandatory to wear face masks and maintain social distance.