Sri Lankan shares closed higher on Thursday, helped by gains in financial and consumer staples stocks.

* The CSE All-Share Index climbed 0.59% to end at 7,188.09, its second straight day of gains.

* Sri Lanka reported 1,939 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a record increase, while overall deaths reached 734, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

* The South Asian island nation last month imposed fresh curbs on public gatherings.

* Conglomerates Browns Investments and LOLC were the biggest boosts, gaining 3% and 1.3%, respectively.

* Trading volumes rose to 85.2 million from 74.2 million in the previous session.

* Foreign investors were net sellers in the equity market, offloading shares worth 110.3 million Sri Lankan rupees ($562,755), according to exchange data.

* Equity market turnover was 1.25 billion rupees.

* The Sri Lankan rupee  was last quoted at 196.00 against the dollar as of 1250 GMT, according to Refinitiv data

($1 = 196.0000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber) ((saisachin.r@tr.com; +91 80 6182 2754; Twitter: @sachinr27;))