The order came after provincial administrations have already started closing down educational facilities in their areas amid the rising Covid-19 cases. Infections started increasing in Sri Lanka soon after the Tamil and Sinhala new year this month.

Concerns have been raised regarding the prevalence of fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus. However, so far, there is no evidence that the Indian variant is responsible for the surge in cases.

“There is a possibility of the virus being spread in India entering Sri Lanka. However, the health authorities have taken all precautionary measures to curtail such possibilities,” Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, the Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of Sri Jayewardenepura University, was quoted by Daily Mirror.

He said they would conduct whole-genome sequencing next week, adding that the virus might be mutating in the country itself.

“The virus currently being spread in Sri Lanka seemed to be rapidly spreading and highly transmissible. Thus, we advise people to maintain a two-meter distance until it is determined by proper research,” he said.