The Sri Lankan government confirmed that at least 70 patients have tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, as it announced a curfew would be in place over the weekend.

A reported 18 of the confirmed cases are from Gampaha, 17 are from Colombo and 12 are from Puttalam. Three cases have been reported in Batticaloa and 1 in Vavuniya, with other districts in the North-East unaffected, as of yet.

British parliamentarians from both major parties raised concerns over the deterioration in the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, calling on the UK government to be “more robust with the Sri Lankan authorities”.

The Sri Lankan government announced it will be imposing an island-wide curfew from tonight, as it looks to tackle the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak

Former Media Spokesperson of the Sri Lanka Army, Brigadier Sumith Atapattu, is set to make his political debut by contesting in the Parliamentary Elections this year, according to Colombo Gazete.

Atapattu - who was part of the Mechanised Infantry during the civil war - said he made a decision to contest from the Kurunegala District under the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party led by Sajith Premadasa to work for his people and ensure the issues they faced are addressed. 

Tamil students and volunteers from Toronto, Canada have set up a free transportation service to help the elderly and others in need during the COVID-19 crisis.

With the coronavirus prompting more nationwide restrictions and lockdowns across the world, it has made it particularly difficult for elderly and immunocompromised individuals to seek medical assistance and to purchase groceries, medications and other necessities. 

Sri Lanka’s defence secretary has called on the country to support the government’s strategy as it looks to tackle the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak on the island, stating it “is similar to how the entire country got together to defeat terrorism in 2009”.

“Sri Lanka has set an example to the world on defeating terrorism 10-years back as all Sri Lankans, who yearned for a peaceful country, were united for a single cause,” said Kamal Gunaratne.

China extended a further $500 million loan to Sri Lanka this week, as Colombo’s economy struggled in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak on the island.

An official Chinese press release said there were “big concessional terms on both interest and tenure” for the loan, which was signed on Wednesday at Temple Trees.

The former captain of Sri Lanka’s cricket team Tillakaratne Dilshan has been nominated by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) for a national list seat in upcoming parliamentary elections.

Dilshan joins a growing list of Sri Lankan cricketers who have gone on to embrace a career in Sri Lankan politics, including former cricket captains.

Extremist Sinhala Buddhist monks from the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) have formed a new joint coalition to contest in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections.

The new coalition, called ‘Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya’, will be led by former parliamentarian and founding JHU member Athuraliye Rathana and Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara. Both candidates and their respective parties have called for right-wing Sinhala nationalist policies.

The chairman of Sri Lanka’s election commission confirmed that parliamentary elections scheduled for next month will be delayed due to the current COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak on the island.

“Coronavirus will decide when we can hold the election again,” said Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya. “We must eradicate this disease, I urge everyone to focus and support efforts to eradicate the virus.”