Sri Lanka staged a mock election to test measures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus during a parliamentary vote in August, AFP reported.

The poll was due to be held on April 25 but was put off and then postponed indefinitely due to the epidemic, which official figures show has infected nearly 2,000 people and killed 11.

The new health measures — to be implemented at polling booths and counting centres — were trialled in four of the 22 electoral districts, commission chairman Mahinda Deshapriya told reporters.