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Thursday, 5 November 2020 03:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
The total number of COVID-19 patients identified in the island exceeded 12,000, with 443 persons testing positive for the virus yesterday.
The new cases include 418 contacts of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster and 25 persons from quarantine centres. The Divulapitiya and Peliyagoda dual cluster has increased to 8,709 cases.
This brings the total number of patients identified in the country to 12,187. Besides the dual cluster, the total case count also includes 1,465 Sri Lankan returnees from abroad, 950 Navy personnel and their contacts, 651 persons connected to the Kandakadu cluster, and 100 foreigners.
The COVID-19 death toll yesterday increased to 24, when a 79-year-old resident of Colombo-13 passed away in her home on Tuesday and was later identified as having contracted COVID-19. According to the Department of Government Information, the individual was unwell for over a month and suffered from chronic illness. The death is classified as a COVID-19 death as health authorities have determined that she died of a heart attack that occurred due to her having contracted the virus.
Health authorities also stated that the autopsy of a 78-year-old resident of Colombo-13 who passed away on Tuesday revealed he had COVID-19. However, the individual’s death is not considered COVID-19 related as he died due to serious injury caused by a fall. The individual passed away at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. There are currently 6,305 persons undergoing treatment, including 664 at the Punani Treatment Centre, 487 at the Gallela Treatment Centre, 420 at the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital, and 395 at the Bingiriya Treatment Centre. Hospitals are also monitoring 400 persons suspected of having COVID-19.
The total COVID-19 recoveries in the island yesterday increased to 5,858, with 277 persons leaving hospitals. This includes 53 persons from the Ichchilampattu Hospital, 39 persons from the Kamburugamuwa Hospital, and 34 persons from the Pimbura District Hospital.
Meanwhile, the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) said 34 persons left quarantine centres yesterday, bringing the total number of persons to leave centres to 63,223. The NOCPCO added that 2,776 persons are currently undergoing quarantine at 33 centres.
According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 545,043 PCR tests have been carried out to date, including 10,655 tests on Tuesday. Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera yesterday said there are 20 PCR testing laboratories in the country, explaining that the country’s health sector has had to manage the medical and laboratory equipment with great care, due to difficulties in obtaining equipment.
“With the onset of the global pandemic, there was a high demand for all necessary medical equipment and laboratory equipment, from face masks to PCR machines, and there were global shortages,” he said, adding that export bans imposed by manufacturing countries added to these shortages.
Despite this, measures will be taken to expand the country’s PCR testing capacity in the future, he said.
Dr. Samaraweera also said a drop in the cases identified from the Divulapitiya cluster was to be seen, with most recently-identified cases belonging to the Peliyagoda cluster.
“The majority of the cases from the Peliyagoda and Minuwangoda cluster were identified from the Gampaha District and Colombo Municipal Council area, and beyond that, a large number of patients were also identified from the Colombo District and the Kurunegala District,” he said.
The Chief Epidemiologist added: “In addition to this, we have identified patients from all districts of the country and all patients identified in the past month are in some way connected to the Peliyagoda and Minuwangoda clusters.”
He explained that the district numbers indicated that the cluster has spread across the country. “We expect that more persons will test positive in the future,” Dr. Samaraweera added.
Given the spread of COVID-19 in the country and the impact it had on the public, the Government introduced two relief programs. One was to provide a Rs. 5,000 allowance to low income families that lost their income due to the pandemic and quarantine curfew. The other was to provide provisions worth Rs. 10,000 to families undergoing home quarantine.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Department of Government Information explained that the Government has set aside Rs. 7.3 billion to provide relief for the public in October.
A total of Rs. 6.9 billion has been allocated for the Rs. 5,000 allowance, of which Rs. 2.7 billion is for the Gampaha District, Rs. 2.3 billion is for the Colombo District, and Rs. 1.3 billion is for the Kalutara District. In addition to this, Rs. 467 million has been provided for families in the Kurunegala District and Rs. 128 million for those in the Batticaloa District.
As for providing families directed for home quarantine with dry rations, Rs. 336 million has been spent, including Rs. 75 million for the Colombo District, Rs. 40 million each for the Gampaha and Kalutara Districts, Rs. 24.61 million for the Kurunegala District, Rs. 17.86 million for the Galle District, Rs. 15.92 million for the Batticaloa District, and Rs. 15.60 for the Nuwara Eliya District.
The Department of Government Information stated that Rs. 56.16 million has been provided for quarantine measures in 11 districts.
According to Kalutara District Secretary Prasanna Janaka Kumara Ginige, 2,420 families in the 14 divisional secretariats of the Kalutara District have been directed for home quarantine and will receive the provisions.
Low-income families also started receiving the allowance starting yesterday, as funds from the Government were received on Tuesday. All allowances will be paid in the next two days, Ginige added.
He requested the public to refrain from visiting local Government authorities, as officials will visit families to provide them with the allocated funds.
“A committee consisting of the district’s health and defence units has developed a program to face the threat of COVID-19,” he said, explaining that local Government bodies have been informed of the recommendations and suggestions of this committee.
Meanwhile, Badulla District Secretary Damayanthi Paranagama said 24 persons have been identified as COVID-19 patients in the district, resulting in 2,193 persons or 1,215 families being directed for home quarantine.
The families will receive provisions from today, she explained, adding that movement restrictions and quarantine measures are being managed well by district officials.
Explaining the situation in the Nuwara Eliya District, District Secretary M.B.R. Pushpakumara said 34 patients have been identified to date and that they were all contacts of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster. A total of 1,460 families have been identified as first and second contacts of these patients and have been directed to undergo home quarantine.
While families have previously received relief with the help of various organisations, Pushpakumara said Government funds have been received and families will thus receive Rs. 10,000 worth provisions from today.
