Sri Lanka offers week-long Buddhist prayers to combat COVID-19

Sri Lanka is conducting a week-long Buddhist prayers as means to combat the growing threat of the deadly coronavirus that has killed over 100,000 people globally.

As of Sunday, the number of confirmed cases reported in Sri Lanka are 11 with over 137 being hospitalised.

"We have organised to recite the 'Rathana Suthraya' over a week through which we hope that not only Sri Lanka, the entire world would be blessed in combating this disease," Venerable Warakagoda Gnanarathana, who heads the powerful Asgiriya sect, told reporters.

"This will be held commencing March 18 for a week near the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy," the high priest said.

Gnanarathna said in the history of Buddhism the Rathana Suthra was recited during times of plague and disease. The suthra was recited by the Lord Buddha when an Indian city of Visala was being plagued by disease and famine.

The government declared Monday, a special holiday to facilitate the combat operations of the deadly virus with new directives to quarantine all individuals arriving in the country other than from China