COVID toll peaks to record 1,111

• Total patient count rises to 103,487, includes 7,984 active patients
• Recoveries rise to 94,856
• Four GN Divisions in Galle, Matale and Polonnaruwa Districts isolated

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

The country’s COVID-19 patient count yesterday rose to 103,487 with the detection of 1,111 COVID-19 positive persons.

This is the first time over 1,000 COVID-19 patients have been detected in a day in Sri Lanka.

The patients detected yesterday include 1,089 associates of the Peliyagoda cluster and seven persons from the Prisons cluster. The Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda and Prisons clusters have expanded to 97,794 patients.

In addition to the triple clusters, 3,469 Sri Lankan returnees from abroad and 295 foreigners are also among the country’s total COVID-19 detections. The local cases include 950 Navy personnel and their contacts and 651 persons linked to the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre from currently inactive clusters.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, 31,754 persons from Colombo, 19,480 persons from Gampaha, 7,189 persons from Kalutara, 4,373 persons from Kandy and 3,977 persons from Kurunegala have tested positive for COVID-19 to date.

This district distribution of patients includes the 997 persons who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Among the patients were 173 persons from Colombo, 170 persons from Gampaha, and 92 persons from Galle. According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 13,138 PCR tests were performed on Monday.

At present, 7,984 persons are under medical care. This includes 440 patients at the Bingiriya Treatment Centre, 355 patients at the Giriulla Treatment Centre, and 310 patients at the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital.

The Epidemiology Unit states that 721 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are currently under observation at various treatment centres.

Hospitals yesterday discharged 279 persons who recovered from the virus. This includes 76 persons from the Giriulla Treatment Centre. The country’s total number of COVID-19 recoveries is 94,856.

Given the rise in COVID-19 detections across the island, the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) announced that a few more Grama Niladhari Divisions have been isolated.

The Siriketha Grama Niladhari Division in the Hingurakgoda Police Division in the Polonnaruwa District and the Pallekumburua Grama Niladhari Division in the Ukuwela Police Division in the Matale District were isolated from 6.30 a.m. yesterday.

In the Galle District, Imbulagoda Grama Niladhari Division and Katudampe Grama Niladhari Division in the Rathgama Police Division were isolated from 8 p.m. on Monday.