Three new COVID-19 cases bring total to 2,844

• 943 Sri Lankan returnees from abroad tested positive so far including 2 on Saturday
• Over 250 active cases while 3 more persons recover
• Over 380 persons returned to island during the weekend

 By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country increased to 2,844 with three more new patient identified yesterday.

The latest patients to be identified were one returnee from India yesterday and two inmates from Senapura T&R Centre. On Saturday two returnees tested positive for the virus. According to the Epidemiology Unit, a total of 943 Sri Lankan returnees from abroad have tested positive along with 32 foreigners.

In terms of local cases, 950 Navy personnel and their close contacts have tested positive, as well as 605 persons from the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre and their close contacts.

According to the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), 483 of the patients identified from the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre are detainees of the centre, 67 are staff members, 48 are family members and close associates, five are guest staffers, and one is a contact of the individual who tested positive at the Welikada Prison.

There are currently 252 persons receiving treatment for COVID-19, of which 130 are at the Kandakadu Treatment Centre, 43 are at the Welikanda Base Hospital, 41 are at the Minuwangoda Base Hospital, and 17 are at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID). The Epidemiology Unit adds that 10 persons are under medical care at the Iranawila Hospital, seven at the Panagoda Army Hospital, and one at the Colombo East Base Hospital.

In addition to this, 58 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are currently being monitored at various hospitals across the island, including 18 at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital and seven at the Chilaw General Hospital.

Three persons also recovered from COVID-19 during the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. yesterday, of which two were from the Welikanda Base Hospital and one was from the Panagoda Army Hospital. The total number of COVID-19 recoveries in the island has now risen to 2,579 and the NOCPCO states that this includes 409 persons from the Kandakadu cluster.

The Health Promotion Bureau states that the country’s recovery rate is 90.78% while its fatality rate is 0.39%. They add that 171,169 PCR tests have been carried out thus far, including 1,343 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, repatriation efforts continue and the NOCPCO states that 389 persons arrived in the island on Saturday, including 187 from the Maldives, 185 from India, and 17 from Doha. They added that 68 left quarantine centres on Saturday having completed the quarantine process.

This includes 39 who were undergoing quarantine at the Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps› Quarantine Centre, 10 at the centre in Punani, and eight from Nipuna Boossa.

A total of 29,621 persons have left quarantine centres so far and a further 1,856 are currently undergoing quarantine at 33 quarantine centres in the country.