COLOMBO/ISLAMABAD, March 21 — One prisoner died and three others were injured when fighting broke out on Saturday in a Sri Lankan jail over rumors of coronavirus, as governments across South Asia tightened restrictions on movement to try to stem infections. The pandemic appears to have been slow to take off in the region, home to 1.9 billion people, but the rate of infections in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan is increasing. As a whole, by 1400 GMT on Saturday, the region had registered 957 coronavirus cases and eight deaths. Instructions to stay indoors are a challenge for millions of day laborers who can scarcely afford to stay at home, and there are fears that the region will prove particularly vulnerable because of its poor health facilities and overcrowded infrastructure.

Source: International New York Times March 21, 2020 10:04 UTC