COLOMBO – Authorities in Sri Lanka closed key government offices and further expanded a curfew Thursday to contain a surging coronavirus outbreak.The foreign ministry closed the consular affairs office for the week and suspended all services to prevent the public from congregating.
The ministry said it would only accept queries and documentation assistance related to deaths of Sri Lankans overseas, strictly by appointment.Other departments providing services related to revenue, immigration, pensions, vehicle license and registrations also closed for the week, and a state-sponsored exhibition was canceled.The outbreak that surfaced this week has grown to 1,034 cases with more than 2,000 others asked to quarantine at home.