Aug 15, 2021 - World

Sri Lanka bans public gatherings amid COVID-19 surge

Sri Lanka on Sunday banned all public gatherings and advised people to avoid public spaces amid a worsening COVID-19 situation, AP reports.

Why it matters: The country is struggling to contain a rapid surge of cases as daily infections continue to rise, according to Reuters' tracker.

Wedding receptions will be banned starting Tuesday, while restaurants can only operate at 50% capacity.

State of play: Hospitals and morgues are being overrun because of the surging case and death numbers, per AP.

The country has held mass cremations to try to deal with the backlog of corpses.
This month, the Sri Lankan Medical Association wrote a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa expressing "grave concern" about the rapid spread of the virus and the lack of medical facilities for COVID-19 patients.