Sri Lankan officials say they have suspended bringing back expatriates stranded overseas due to the coronavirus because the country’s quarantine facilities are full.
Army Commander Shavendra Silva, who heads the task force to control the pandemic, says Sri Lanka’s quarantine facilities have filled up amid a steep rise in COVID-19 patients in the past week.
Sri Lanka had earlier announced that it successfully contained the spread of the virus, and no local clusters were reported for two months.
However, a cluster that originated from a garment factory earlier this month has led to 1,307 new cases in just one week.
In all, the Indian Ocean island nation has recorded 4,791 cases, including 13 deaths.
