Colombo, Mar 29 (IANS): Sri Lanka's Health Ministry said that a 60-year-old man who tested positive for the novel coronavirus has died while being under critical care at the National Infectious Disease Hospital on the outskirts of Colombo.

This marks Sri Lanka's first death from the COVID-19 outbreak, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Health Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that the man underwent a kidney transplant a few years ago and was admitted to the National Infectious Disease Hospital recently after testing positive for the COVID-19.

It further said that presently 113 patients were confirmed with the virus in Sri Lanka after five patients tested positive on Saturday.

So far, nine patients had been discharged after fully recovering from the illness.

A total of 199 people remained under observation in designated hospitals across the country.

Sri Lanka is under a nationwide curfew aimed at preventing the spread of the virus and people have been banned from leaving their homes.