Sri Lanka will close its borders for all passengers arrivals for ten days beginning tomorrow, said the Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday after officials reported a record single-day high of 3,051 COVID 19 cases.<br />'' <br />''Home to about 21 million people, Sri Lanka is witnessing a spiking third wave of the pandemic, with health authorities reporting over 2,000 cases a day over the last week, prompting the government to impose travel restrictions, including lockdowns.<br />'' <br />''The country's death toll which was among the lowest in the region during the first wave – has rapidly risen in the last few weeks, reaching 1,015 on Tuesday.<br />'' <br />''More than 1,50,000 cases have been reported since the pandemic struck last year, of which nearly 30,000 are currently active, according to data published by the Health Promotion Bureau.<br />'' <br />''The decision to bar entry to international travellers comes as a blow to the government's efforts to revive the tourism industry from January this year.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The Russian Sputnik vaccine as well as China's Sinopharm vaccines are currently being administered in the country.</span><br />