Asia Today: Sri Lanka reimposes curfew; 12 cases in China

BANGKOK (AP) — Sri Lanka has reimposed a countrywide 24-hour curfew after a surge in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, most of them navy sailors who were hunting those evading quarantine.

The 46 new infections on Friday were the highest in a day. They brought to 420 the number of COVID-19 patients in the Indian Ocean island, including seven deaths.

Sri Lanka partially lifted a monthlong curfew on Monday during daytime hours in more than two thirds of the country.

The new curfew remains in effect until Monday. Police have arrested more than 30,000 violators.

Among the newly infected were 30 navy sailors from a camp on the outskirts of the capital, Colombo. A total 60 sailors so far have been infected and the camp isolated.

The virus is believed to have entered the camp through sailors who were deployed to search for a group of drug addicts who had contact with a COVID-19 patient and were evading quarantine.

— NO NEW DEATHS IN CHINA: For the 10th straight day, China reported no new deaths from the coronavirus. Twelve new cases were reported on Saturday, 11 of them brought from overseas and one local transmission in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang bordering on Russia, according to the National Health Commission. Just 838 people remain hospitalized with COVID-19 while another 1,000 people are undergoing isolation and monitoring for being either suspected cases or having tested positive for the virus while showing no symptoms. China, widely believed to be the source of the global pandemic, has reported a total of 4,632 deaths among 82,816 cases.

— DOWNWARD TREND IN SOUTH KOREA HOLDS: South Korea has reported 10 fresh cases of the new coronavirus, the eighth day in a row its daily jump came below 20. No new deaths were reported Saturday for the...