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Saturday Apr 27, 2024
Wednesday, 26 August 2020 01:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka rose to 2,971 with 12 overseas arrivals testing positive for the virus yesterday.
According to the Epidemiology Unit, the six persons who tested positive for the virus on Monday were Sri Lankan returnees from abroad and the Sri Lanka Army stated that two were from UAE, while the rest were from India, Indonesia, Singapore, and Maldives.
A total of 1,030 Sri Lankan returnees have tested positive so far and the imported cases also include 36 foreigners. As for the local cases, the Epidemiology Unit states that 950 Navy personnel and their close contacts and 630 persons connected to the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre have been identified as COVID-19 positive cases.
Of the Kandakadu cluster, 508 are detainees under rehabilitation, 67 are staff members, 48 are family members and close associates, and five are guest staffers. The district distribution of cases shows 160 from Colombo, 38 from Gampaha, and 35 from Puttalam.
The Epidemiology Unit adds that 143 persons are currently under medical care at various hospitals, including 72 persons at the Welikanda Base Hospital, 33 at the Iranawila Hospital, 15 at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), and 11 at the Minuwangoda Base Hospital.
Among the active cases are 24 persons connected to the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre and 605 persons connected to the centre have recovered thus far.
Two persons from the Welikanda Base Hospital, two persons from the Minuwangoda Base Hospital, and one person from the Iranawila Hospital were discharged yesterday having recovered from COVID-19. The five new recoveries bring the total recoveries in the island to 2,816 and the recovery rate to 94.78%.
With 12 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the island, the Health Promotion Bureau calculates the country’s fatality rate as 0.4%.
In addition to this, the Health Promotion Bureau stated that 211,090 PCR tests have been carried out in the island thus far, including 2,693 on Monday.
The Sri Lanka Army adds that 275 persons from South Korea and 21 persons from Qatar arrived in the island yesterday and have been directed to quarantine centres.
Meanwhile, 89 persons left quarantine centres yesterday, having completed the process. This includes 68 persons from the Carolina Village Quarantine Centre, eight persons from the Nipuna Boossa Quarantine Centre, seven persons from the SLAGSC Quarantine Centre, three from the 1 Gemunu Watch Quarantine Centre in Diyatalawa, and two from the Hotel Mount Lavinia Beach Quarantine Centre.
The Sri Lanka Army added that 7,038 persons are currently undergoing quarantine at 62 centres managed by the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, and Sri Lanka Air Force.
