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Thursday Sep 19, 2024
Wednesday, 9 September 2020 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
Seventeen persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the island to 3,140.
Of the new cases, seven are overseas arrivals, and nine are inmates of the Kandakadu Rehab Centre. The Epidemiology Unit states that 1,173 Sri Lankan returnees and 46 foreigners have tested positive in Sri Lanka thus far. They add that 950 Navy personnel and their close contacts and 641 persons connected to the Kandakadu Treatment Centre have also tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Sri Lanka Army, the Kandakadu cluster includes 519 detainees undergoing rehabilitation, 67 staff members, 48 family members and close associates, and five guest staffers. Of them, 626 persons have recovered and only 14 persons remain under medical care.
In terms of the total number of active cases, the Epidemiology Unit states that 193 persons are currently receiving treatment at various hospitals, including 12 foreigners.
The Epidemiology Unit adds that 75 of the active cases are receiving treatment at the Welikanda Base Hospital, 71 are at the National Institution of Infectious Diseases (NIID), 28 are at the Iranawila Hospital, and two are at the Colombo East Base Hospital.
The number of active cases dropped with the recovery of nine persons, of which eight were discharged from the Welikanda Base Hospital and one was discharged from the Colombo East Base Hospital. A total of 2,935 persons have recovered in the island thus far and the Health Promotion Bureau calculates the country’s recovery rate as 93.74%. With 12 COVID-19-related deaths reported so far, Sri Lanka’s fatality rate is 0.38%.
The Health Promotion Bureau states that 242,984 PCR tests have been performed in total, including 1,353 tests on Monday. This is the lowest number of daily PCR tests conducted since 8 August, when 1,343 PCR tests were performed.
There was also a drop in the number of persons being monitored at hospitals over suspicions of having COVID-19 and the Epidemiology Unit states that 56 suspect patients were being monitored on Monday and only 37 were being monitored at 10 a.m. yesterday morning.
Of them, nine are at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, six are at the Welisara Chest Hospital, four are at the DeSoysa Maternity Hospital, and four are at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Army stated that the number of persons undergoing quarantine at 63 centres managed by the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, and Sri Lanka Air Force is currently 6,624. Yesterday’s twenty arrivals from Qatar have been directed to quarantine centres as well.
A total of 38,393 persons have left quarantine centres thus far, including 331 persons who left centres yesterday. Of them, 119 persons left the Damminna Quarantine Centre, 69 persons left the Habarana Oak Ray Hotel Quarantine Centre, 50 persons left the Wind Beach Resort Quarantine Centre, 49 persons left the Nachchikuda Quarantine Centre, 23 persons left the Army General Service Corps Quarantine Centre, 12 persons left the Hotel Club Dolphin Quarantine Centre, seven persons left the Oluvil Quarantine Centre, and two persons left the Army Service Corps Quarantine Centre.
