72 return from quarantine after testing negative for COVID-19

• 26 new patients test positive including 13-month infant 
• 366 Navy personnel tested COVID-19 positive so far
• 17 patients recover 
• 148 released from quarantine centres after completing medical check-up
• 5,182 remain in quarantine centres 
• Special SriLankan Airlines flight repatriates 197 Lankans from Dubai

Seventy-two persons who were in quarantine returned to their homes yesterday after PCR tests returned negative for COVID-19 whilst 26 new active cases were confirmed including a 13-month infant.

Three patients had earlier tested positive, prompting public health officials to recommend that all 72 individuals identified as close contacts of the patients be moved to quarantine. However, the three patients were subsequently re-classified as COVID-19 negative following a review. 

“After an in-depth review, the expert group decided to re-classify three persons diagnosed COVID-19 on 5 May as non-COVID. Those three patients were removed from the cumulative total,” the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry said.  

The 72 close contacts, who were residents of Rajagiriya, Modara, and Kolonnawa, were moved to the Galkanda quarantine centre and later released on medical advice, National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPOC) Head and Army Commander Lt. General Shavendra Silva said yesterday. 

With yesterday’s addition of 26 new patients, the total number of confirmed cases increased to 823. Six are Navy personnel; the 13-month infant is the child of a Navy couple from the Welisara camp.

366 Navy personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 as of last evening, with 248 of them from the Welisara Navy camp and 82 from other areas, Lt. Gen. Silva added.

According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 17 infected patients recovered yesterday, raising the total of those recovered to 232. A total of 134 individuals are currently under investigation in hospitals, while 582 active COVID-19 cases are under treatment at present. A total of 1,147 PCR tests were carried out on Wednesday. Nine patients have succumbed to the virus. 

197 people were repatriated from Dubai yesterday on a special SriLankan Airlines flight, and the returnees were moved to several quarantine centres run by the military, Lt. Gen. Silva said. The group included students and State officials, among others. 

According to Lt. Gen. Silva, 148 persons who completed the mandatory quarantine program at Galkanda, Kalpitiya, Hekiththa, Katukaliyawa, Panichchankerni and Miyankulam quarantine centres were released after being subjected to the COVID-19 PCR test. 

“A total of 5,442 persons have completed their quarantine program at several quarantine centres run by the military and have returned to home up-to-date,” Lt. Gen. Silva added.

At present, there are 5,182 persons in 41 quarantine centres island-wide.