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Wednesday, 22 April 2020 04:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
A total of six persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 310, as the Government continued to increase the number of people being sent to quarantine and tested.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Government Information yesterday, five patients were identified from those subjected to the quarantine process from Bandaranayake Mawatha in Colombo 12, and the other was identified from the Warakapola area, and had closely associated with a COVID-19 patient.
With 102 recoveries, the number of patients currently receiving treatment is 201, and 158 persons remain hospitalised due to suspicions of COVID-19.
According to the Health Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka’s recovery rate is 32.9% and, with seven COVID-19 deaths reported, the fatality rate is 2.26%.
Of the 310 confirmed cases, 110 were persons in quarantine centres (QC) who tested positive for COVID-19, including 28 returnees from the Kandakadu QC, 16 persons from the Batticaloa Brandix QC, and 15 from the Zahira College QC.
In addition to this, 149 persons were released from quarantine centres yesterday, including 146 from the Punani QC and three from the Boossa QC. The Sri Lanka Army on their website stated that the returnees were from the Kottawa, Akurana, Colombo, and Mahiyanganaya areas.
Addressing the press, National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPOC) Head and Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva said a total of 4,348 persons have been released from quarantine centres so far, and a further 1,582 remain in the centres.
With the number of COVID-19 positive persons from Keselwatte increasing during the past two days, 1,010 persons from 242 families were transferred to three quarantine centres yesterday, and 242 persons were transferred the day before.
Measures are also being taken to quarantine and test those who have come into contact with the two patients identified from Boralesgamuwa and Piliyandala on Monday, and the nursing staff of a private medical centre, which has been instructed to shut down, are also being tested, as the patient from Boralesgamuwa has visited the centre.
Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva also said that UL 1206 from Karachi landed in Sri Lanka yesterday evening, bringing back a group of locals, including 24 university students studying in Pakistan. The group also include 82 Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, and Sri Lanka Air Force officers who were following various training programs in Pakistan. They had completed their programs over a month ago.
According to SriLankan Airlines, the flight brought back 113 locals and more special flights have been scheduled to fly down locals from other countries. This includes UL 146 scheduled to carry 101 persons from Amritsar tomorrow, as well as UL 194 with 117 Sri Lankans from Coimbatore and UL 1425 with 93 from Kathmandu on 24 April.
All those who return to the country will be subjected to the mandatory quarantine process.
Additional measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka include closing the Peliyagoda fish market indefinitely for retail business, after it was found that the person from Piliyandala who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday had visited the market the previous day.
According to a statement issued by the Government Information Department on behalf of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry, the Peliyagoda fish market will only conduct wholesale business and the premises will be disinfected prior to opening for business.
Having allowed liquor shops in non-high risk areas to open on Monday, the Government yesterday ordered all liquor shops to be closed immediately, although no reason for the decision was given in the statement issued by the President’s Media Division (PMD).
In addition to this, the Government also announced a grace period for the payment of fines for motor traffic violations. According to the Government Information Department, fines issued on or after 1 March will be given a grace period until 2 May and fines issued between 16 and 29 February will also get a grace period with a standard late fee.
