15 COVID-19 positive patients, over 250 released from quarantine

• 257 return home from quarantine, 5,222 remain in 51 centres
• 15 test positive, total number of confirmed cases reach 2,745
• HPB says no patients recovered yesterday, 656 remain in care
• Kandakadu cluster reaches 561 patients, 30 repatriated

By Asiri Fernando

Two hundred and fifty nine persons were released from quarantine yesterday after they tested negative for COVID-19 and completed the mandated quarantine program, as 15 persons tested positive for the virus.   According to the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry, the total number of confirmed cases has risen to 2,745 with 656 infected patients under medical care. No COVID-19 infected patients were reported on Tuesday with 1,100 PCR tests conducted. There were no reports of infected patients recovering and being discharged yesterday keeping the total number to recover at 2,064.   A total of 141,515 PCR tests have been conducted in Sri Lanka from the start of the pandemic to 21 July with medical professionals and Opposition politicians calling on the Government early on to expand national testing capacity.   

Of the 656 patients, including a foreign national remain under care at 10 specialised hospitals as of last evening. Of the patients under treatment, 58 including the foreign national were being treated at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID). 

The Kandakadu treatment centre treats the highest number of patients, with 363 in care, Base Hospital Welikanda has 88 with the Kattankudy Base Hospital and the Army Hospital in Panagoda each treating 45 and 60 COVID-19 patients respectively.

A total of 107 patients suspected to have COVID-19 symptoms are being monitored by health authorities, the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry reported. 30 persons were repatriated from Qatar yesterday and were moved to quarantine centres after being subjected to PCR tests, the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPC) said.

Those who returned home from quarantine yesterday were from seven quarantine centres located around the island, the NOCPC said. A total of 5,222 persons remain in quarantine in 51 centres managed by the military. A total of 25,074 persons have completed the quarantine program and returned home from centres across the island thus far, the NOCPC added. 

According to the NOCPC, the total number of those infected from the Kandakadu Cluster remains 561. The Welisara Navy Station cluster has completely recovered and has been fully controlled, the Navy reported.