COVID-19: Sri Lanka Hindu temple officials arrested for holding large festival
Sri Lanka-Covid
Top officials of a Hindu temple have been arrested in Sri Lanka for organising a festival in violationof a ban on mass gatherings due to a spike in coronavirus cases, a media report said.
Several people attended the festival at the Sri Kamakshi Amman Kovil temple in Jaffna without following social distancing guidelines and wearing face masks, the Colombo Gazette newspaper reported.
Watch: Ultra-infectious new COVID-19 strain detected in Sri Lanka, can remain airborne for up to 60 minutes
The Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the temple have been arrested, the police said.
Sri Lanka has banned large gatherings until May 31, which includes tuitions classes, public gatherings and parties after imposing Alert Level 3 following the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Health officials have expressed concerns over a possible spike in COVID-19 cases after traditional new year festivals in mid-April.
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Casinos, night clubs and beach parties have also been temporarily shut down after new health guidelines.
Sri Lanka on Tuesday reported 1,111 new coronavirus cases, the most since the beginning of the pandemic in the country, taking the total number of infections to 103,487.
As many as 655 people have died in Sri Lanka due to COVID-19 as of Tuesday.