Cash-strapped Sri Lanka has halted all fuel sales save for critical services for two weeks and declared a partial shutdown as its great economic crisis worsens.

The south Asian country is experiencing its worst economic collapse since obtaining independence from Britain in 1948. It has been unable to fund even critical imports since the end of last year.

Bandula Gunawardana, a government spokesman, stated that the sales embargo was enacted to conserve gasoline and diesel for emergencies. The country's fuel stocks have reached rock bottom, with supplies just enough to last another day.

As public transport ground to a standstill, he pushed the private sector to allow employees to work from home.

"As of tonight at midnight, no fuel will be sold except for essential services such as the health sector," Gunawardana said in a taped message. "We want to conserve the few reserves we have."

He apologized to consumers for the trouble caused by the shortages: "We regret the inconvenience caused to the public."

The country is also experiencing record-high inflation and lengthy power outages, all of which have contributed to months of sometimes violent rallies demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

To cut commuting and conserve oil, all government schools were closed last week, and state institutions worked with skeletal staff.

The shutdown of the state sector was initially scheduled to expire this week, but it has been prolonged until July 10, when Gunawardana has vowed to restore petroleum supply.

The administration stated on Sunday that it would introduce a token system to regulate the distribution of limited fuel supplies, but it never took off.

There have been long lines in front of the few remaining pumping stations.

Sri Lanka seeks energy at a low price from Russia and Qatar.

The United Nations started an emergency response to the island's great economic crisis earlier this month, feeding thousands of pregnant women experiencing food shortages.

According to the United Nations, four out of five Sri Lankans are already skipping meals because they cannot afford to eat, signaling an impending "dire humanitarian crisis" with millions needing assistance.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April and is negotiating a bailout with the International Monetary Fund.