<p>Sri Lanka announced a 10-day lockdown starting on Friday night in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as surging infections and deaths overwhelm the island's health system.</p>.<p>The Indian Ocean nation recorded its highest single-day death toll of 187 and 3,793 cases on Wednesday.</p>.<p>"Nationwide Lockdown in effect from 10 pm today (20/08) to Monday (30/08). All essential services will function as normal," Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said on Twitter.</p>.<p>President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met with members of the presidential task force on coronavirus and was expected to address the nation on Friday evening.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank"><strong>CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH</strong></a></p>.<p>Medical professionals, religious leaders, politicians and businessmen have called for an immediate nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of infections.</p>.<p>Daily infections have more than doubled in a month to an average of 3,897, according to the Reuters Global Covid tracker.</p>.<p>Hospitals in the country of 32 million people are overflowing with Covid-19 patients as the highly transmissible Delta variant surges through the population.</p>.<p>"If they listen to us it will be good for our leaders and for the country," said lawmaker Tissa Witarana, a supporter of a strict national lockdown, before the health minister's announcement.</p>.<p>Many restrictions are already in place, with schools, gyms, and swimming pools closed and weddings and musical shows banned. Authorities also imposed a night curfew from Monday, restricting movement from 10 pm until 4 am every day.</p>.<p>Around a quarter of Sri Lanka's population has been fully vaccinated, a majority of them with China's Sinopharm vaccine.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka has also approved the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Russia's Sputnik V shots.</p>.<p>It has reported a total of 372,079 infections since the start of the outbreak last year, with 6,604 deaths. </p>
<p>Sri Lanka announced a 10-day lockdown starting on Friday night in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as surging infections and deaths overwhelm the island's health system.</p>.<p>The Indian Ocean nation recorded its highest single-day death toll of 187 and 3,793 cases on Wednesday.</p>.<p>"Nationwide Lockdown in effect from 10 pm today (20/08) to Monday (30/08). All essential services will function as normal," Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said on Twitter.</p>.<p>President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met with members of the presidential task force on coronavirus and was expected to address the nation on Friday evening.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_blank"><strong>CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH</strong></a></p>.<p>Medical professionals, religious leaders, politicians and businessmen have called for an immediate nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of infections.</p>.<p>Daily infections have more than doubled in a month to an average of 3,897, according to the Reuters Global Covid tracker.</p>.<p>Hospitals in the country of 32 million people are overflowing with Covid-19 patients as the highly transmissible Delta variant surges through the population.</p>.<p>"If they listen to us it will be good for our leaders and for the country," said lawmaker Tissa Witarana, a supporter of a strict national lockdown, before the health minister's announcement.</p>.<p>Many restrictions are already in place, with schools, gyms, and swimming pools closed and weddings and musical shows banned. Authorities also imposed a night curfew from Monday, restricting movement from 10 pm until 4 am every day.</p>.<p>Around a quarter of Sri Lanka's population has been fully vaccinated, a majority of them with China's Sinopharm vaccine.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka has also approved the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Russia's Sputnik V shots.</p>.<p>It has reported a total of 372,079 infections since the start of the outbreak last year, with 6,604 deaths. </p>