Sri Lanka, March 26 -- The government yesterday decided to shutdown all Board of Investment (BOI) industrial-processing zones in the country to support the ongoing social distancing measures instituted to further shield the masses from contracting the dangerous coronavirus.

However some companies, which manufacture medical equipment such as face masks, surgical gloves and consumables have been spared from the decision as they continuously operate under the permission of the government's coronavirus task force adhering to strict guidelines to avoid transmission of the decease in those factories.

"Today's decision was taken at a meeting in consensus with all parties including the employers, subject minister and other stakeholders," said M...