Sri Lanka Tightens Virus Curbs on Gatherings Ahead of Protest
- Organizers of gatherings need approval from health ministry
- Protest involves farmers against ban on chemical fertilizer
Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Photographer: Andy Buchanan/Pool/Getty Images
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Sri Lanka is imposing new virus curbs to limit the size of public gatherings, just days before the political opposition planned to hold the first major protest against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government since it swept to power last August.
The government issued an extraordinary gazette late on Thursday making it mandatory to obtain approval from the director-general of health services for gatherings to stop the spread of Covid-19. Infections and deaths were brought under controls in September after an extended lock down, but have been ticking up in recent days.