Sri Lanka braces for third COVID-19 wave

It recorded about 800 cases or more a day, taking the total caseload to over 1 lakh

Preparingfor a possible third wave of the coronavirus following a recent spike in cases, Sri Lanka on Monday said all schools in the Western Province, where capital Colombo is located, and the North Western Province will be closed. Over the last few days, Sri Lanka recorded about 800 cases or more a day, taking the total number of cases reported in the island to over one lakh, and the number of fatalities to 644, as of Monday morning. Over 6,000 cases are currently active. The National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak reported 892 positive cases on Monday. Several public health commentators attributed the recent surge in cases to gatherings around the Sinhala and Tamil New Year that was celebrated on April 14. With a near 22 million-strong population, Sri Lanka made news last year for effectively containing the pandemic’s spread, with a stringent lockdown. However, subsequent clusters emerged, posing a huge challenge for the government, which is also faced with a severe economic blow since the pandemic.