Sri Lanka arrests dozens as COVID-19 cases climb
A health worker sprays disinfectant at Slave Island railway station as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 in Colombo on Oct 30. (Photo: AFP/Lakruwan Wanniarachch)
COLOMBO: For the first time, Sri Lanka police have arrested dozens of people for not wearing masks and failing to maintain social distancing, under the new laws imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said 39 people were detained, and separately, another 221 were held for violating a curfew.
READ: Sri Lanka orders closures to contain COVID-19
Since Thursday, the government has imposed the curfew in the whole of Western province where new outbreaks at a garment factory and the main fish market were discovered early this month.
It includes the capital Colombo, where nearly 30 per cent of the 22 million population live.
Infections from the two clusters have grown to 6,945 by Saturday, including 633 in the last 24 hours, bringing to over 10,000 the number of confirmed cases in the island nation, including 19 deaths.
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