WEB DESK
Sri Lankan government has decided to limit and suspend the import of all non-essential items except medicines and fuel in wake of COVID-19 crisis as the number of active cases has risen to 124 in the country. The decision was taken at cabinet meeting in wake of economic challenges caused by COVID-19 outbreak as country’s main foreign exchange earners like tourism and apparel exports, has been adversely affected.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajpaksa has also urged international lending agencies to defer debt repayment to tide over the crisis.
Meanwhile, two more persons were tested positive bringing the total number of cases to 148 while another person died of COVID last night bringing the total death toll to three. Altogether 21 persons have been treated while more than two hundred are under observation. The country is under curfew for almost two weeks now and security agencies are busy tracing all suspect cases of COVID-19.
Director General of Health services Dr. Anil Jaisinghe has said that the disease has not reached community transmission in the country but agreed that more tests need to be carried out. He said that they will be carrying out sample testings in clusters to determine the extent of the novel coronavirus spread.