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Monday, 19 October 2020 03:29 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
The Divulapitiya COVID-19 cluster surpassed 2,000 cases over the weekend, and yesterday expanded to 2,075 cases.
While 13 employees and associates of the Minuwangoda garment manufacturing facility were directed to quarantine centres and 48 contacts tested positive yesterday, 115 persons linked to the cluster tested positive during the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m.
A total of 5,538 confirmed cases have been identified in the island to date, of which 1,455 are Sri Lankan returnees from abroad, 950 are Navy personnel and their close contacts, 651 are persons linked to the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre, and 95 are foreign arrivals.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 2,120 persons are currently receiving treatment at 19 hospitals in the country, including 342 persons at the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital, 228 persons at the Kamburugamuwa Hospital, and 173 persons at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID).
Hospitals are also monitoring 306 persons suspected of having COVID-19.
Meanwhile the total COVID-19 recoveries in the island yesterday rose to 3,403 with five persons from the NIID and three persons from the Hambantota District General Hospital being discharged, having recovered from the virus.
In terms of quarantine measures, the National Operation Centre for the Prevention of the COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) stated 66 persons left quarantine centres yesterday, and a total of 53,937 persons have left centres to date.
A further 9,386 persons are currently undergoing quarantine at 82 centres managed by the Tri-Forces, including 26 persons who arrived from Qatar yesterday.
It was also stated yesterday that Ovitigala, Badugama and Badugama Nawa Janapadaya in the Matugama Divisional Secretariat have been declared isolated towns.
Addressing claims of low quality meals being provided to persons at quarantine centres, NOCPCO Head Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva denied these claims and said the Tri-Forces provide the best they can in terms of food.
Regarding an incident of people being asked to leave for quarantine centres ‘in a second’, Silva said he looked into it and found that the individuals at the particular accommodation facility were informed of the time they would be picked up beforehand. Despite this, he said, the individuals had taken an additional 40 minutes to get ready, which led to the situation that arose.
He explained that the entire quarantine process in the country is managed by the Tri-Forces, adding: “Contacts are given a message over the phone and informed that the Army will pick them up at a particular time. Medical officers of health and public health inspectors of the area are also informed of this.”
Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva added that investigations into the source of the cluster are still ongoing and that the authorities are yet to arrive at a conclusion. However, he pointed to the possibility of it being transmitted from an overseas arrival as the last community case was identified on 30 April.
While patients were identified within the country after that, they were linked to the clusters that emerged from the Welisara Navy Camp and the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre. All such cases were last identified in August, and there was no community transmission, he said.
“COVID-19 was always in the country, which is why we said there are patients in hospitals or in quarantine centres,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Government yesterday launched the 1999 hotline for inquiries about COVID-19. Through the hotline, the public can access information on preventing infection as well as spread. Persons who suspect they have COVID-19 and display symptoms can use the hotline to receive advice on what they should do next.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Government Information, the service is available in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, 24 hours a day through any network.
In addition to this, the Health Ministry stated that 1,117 intern medical officers yesterday received appointments to fill vacancies in hospitals island-wide. A list of names of the individuals has been published on the Health Ministry website.
