Lanka bans arrivals from Iran, Italy, South Korea over coronavirus fears

 Sri Lanka on Friday temporarily banned entry of people coming from Iran, Italy and South Korea as a precaution against the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic.

The travel ban will be in effect for two weeks, starting from tomorrow, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.

"All airlines are strongly advised not to carry passengers during these two weeks to Sri Lanka from Italy, Iran or South Korea," a senior CAA official said.

The island nation has so far reported two COVID-19 cases.

As part of measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Education Ministry on Thursday announced the closure of all schools across the country till April 20.

The government has also temporarily stopped the visa on arrival policy applicable for 48 countries, including India, and also appealed to the public to avoid non-essential foreign travel.

All Sri Lankan nationals arriving from Italy, South Korea and China are being sent to quarantine centres set up in the eastern province.

The deadly viral strain that first originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year has so far claimed over 4,920 lives and infected more than 126,000 people across 116 countries and territories, prompting a wave of travel restrictions across the globe.

(Pic Credit: AP)