Asia Today: Sri Lanka expands curfew, closes gov't offices

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Authorities in Sri Lanka have closed key government offices and further expanded a curfew in an attempt to contain a surging coronavirus outbreak.

The foreign ministry closed its consular affairs office for the week and suspended all services to prevent the public from congregating. It said Thursday 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 quickly grown to 1,034 cases, and more than 2,000 other people have been asked to quarantine at home.

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In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:

Hong Kong reported 18 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, sparking fears that the city may experience a rebound in cases as the number of locally transmitted infections continues to rise. Of the 18 infections, 14 were local, with at least one case having an unknown source of infection, according to health officials. Eleven of the local infections were linked to a home for the disabled, a day after the first resident was confirmed to have been infected. “The numbers are indeed very worrying,” said Constance Chan, director of Hong Kong’s department of health. In the last week, Hong Kong has seen clusters of infections linked to a bar, a school and pharmacies. The city’s health minister, Sophia Chan, said Thursday that the government is considering making it mandatory for people to be tested for the coronavirus, although she did not specify whether it would apply to all people or to specific groups. Hong Kong has reported a total of...