<p>Sri Lanka has extended by a week the current school closure to ensure the well-being of students amidst the coronavirus pandemic that has infected nearly 2,700 people, an official statement said on Saturday.</p>.<p>The decision was taken after students from selected grades, who were asked to return to school on July 6 after the lockdown of over three months, did not attend the school in view of a threat from the sudden Covid-19 cases spike reported from the North and Central region.</p>.<p>“The Director General of Health Services remains confident that there is no possibility for the social transmission of Covid-19. However, since over 200 school children and teachers are under quarantine in five districts and three students are among the infected, it was important to shut the schools for a further week,” the statement said.</p>.<p>Before the latest spike, the ministry had announced a phased programme to re-open schools after they had been shut on March 20.</p>.<p>The health authorities said the latest spike has been curbed and there was no need for a further lockdown as feared.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election scheduled for August 5 is also to go ahead with the application of health guidelines both on campaigning and on the day of the polls.</p>.<p>The pandemic had already formed a change to the election procedure.</p>.<p>For the first time in the island’s electoral history the counting of votes would start on the following morning, the Election Commission has announced.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka has so far reported 2,697 cases of coronavirus and 11 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.</p>
<p>Sri Lanka has extended by a week the current school closure to ensure the well-being of students amidst the coronavirus pandemic that has infected nearly 2,700 people, an official statement said on Saturday.</p>.<p>The decision was taken after students from selected grades, who were asked to return to school on July 6 after the lockdown of over three months, did not attend the school in view of a threat from the sudden Covid-19 cases spike reported from the North and Central region.</p>.<p>“The Director General of Health Services remains confident that there is no possibility for the social transmission of Covid-19. However, since over 200 school children and teachers are under quarantine in five districts and three students are among the infected, it was important to shut the schools for a further week,” the statement said.</p>.<p>Before the latest spike, the ministry had announced a phased programme to re-open schools after they had been shut on March 20.</p>.<p>The health authorities said the latest spike has been curbed and there was no need for a further lockdown as feared.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election scheduled for August 5 is also to go ahead with the application of health guidelines both on campaigning and on the day of the polls.</p>.<p>The pandemic had already formed a change to the election procedure.</p>.<p>For the first time in the island’s electoral history the counting of votes would start on the following morning, the Election Commission has announced.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka has so far reported 2,697 cases of coronavirus and 11 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.</p>