COVID-19 origins tracing should not be politicized: Sri Lankan gov't

COLOMBO, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has reiterated that the study on the origins tracing of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, should be based on scientific and evidence-based methods and not be politicized, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement here on Wednesday.

The ministry said COVID-19 had caused severe disruptions to the health, safety, and livelihoods of people around the world and therefore, multilateralism and international cooperation provide the best possible means to effectively and sustainably overcome the pandemic.

"It is equally important to conduct a comprehensive, inclusive, and impartial study on the origin of the virus," it said.

Sri Lanka, it said, values the leading role played by the World Health Organization (WHO) in this regard and the contents of the joint report of the WHO-convened global study released in March.

The next phase of the study should reflect the key findings of the previous WHO-led joint study report, said the ministry.

"Sri Lanka will continue to constructively engage with all international partners to find amicable and comprehensive solutions to unresolved issues in this regard," it noted.

Sri Lanka is facing a rapid spread of COVID-19 and has declared a nationwide quarantine curfew, which will be lifted on Sept. 13.

According to official figures, 474,780 people have been infected with the virus nationwide since March last year, while 10,689 deaths have been reported.