COLOMBO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has urged for all political parties in the country to unite to assist the government in its efforts to combat the COVID-19 virus, local media reported Wednesday.
Quoting a statement from the Prime Minister's office, media reports said that Prime Minister Rajapaksa held an All Party Political Leader's Conference at his official residence in capital Colombo on Tuesday evening in which he urged party leaders to make their recommendations.
He said the government wanted to obtain the assistance of all politicians as the number of COVID-19 patients rose to 101 since the first local patient was detected in the second week of March.
"The opinions of the party leaders and their representatives will also be taken into consideration in the prevention of COVID-19 in the future," the prime minister said at the discussions.
Party leaders commended the measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country and also assured their fullest cooperation towards the measures to be taken by the government in this regard in the future.
Health Services Director General of the Health Ministry, Dr Anil Jasinghe, at the discussions, apprised the party leaders and their representatives on the present situation in the country.
The party leaders also focused on the impact caused by the outbreak on the country's economy and measures that need to be taken in this regard.
Sri Lanka has to date detected 101 COVID-19 infected patients while over 200 are under observation.
Over 11,000 are under quarantine in their homes and at the quarantine centers.
