国际英语新闻:Sri Lanka's election chief assures voter safety on eve of parliamentary election

COLOMBO, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's election chief Mahinda Deshapriya on Tuesday assured that all health guidelines have been strictly put in place in the over 12,000 polling booths set up across the country on the eve of a parliamentary election which will elect a new 225-member parliament.

Deshapriya told Xinhua that some of the health measures put in place to prevent a COVID-19 spread included disinfecting all polling booths, and voters will be provided hand sanitizers to maintain hand hygiene when entering and leaving the polling booths.

Voters and all officials would be required to wear face masks and a one-meter distance would have to be maintained by all those present in and out of the polling booths at all times, Deshapriya said.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, health officers will also be present in all polling booths across the country.

"All health guidelines have been put in place for Wednesday's election. We assure all polling booths will be COVID-19 free," Deshapriya said.

There are some 16.2 million eligible voters in Wednesday's election which will see over 7,000 candidates contesting from political and independent parties.

Voting will begin at 7:00 a.m. local time and end at 5:00 p.m. after it was extended by a further hour to allow those under home quarantine to cast their votes in the final hour.

Sri Lanka has to date over 2,800 COVID-19 patients out of which over 2,500 patients have recovered and been discharged.

Meanwhile, 11 deaths have been reported from the virus.