Thursday Sep 19, 2024
Thursday Sep 19, 2024
Saturday, 29 August 2020 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
Three persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday and the total number of confirmed cases identified in the island has now increased to 2,989.
The new cases include two overseas arrivals, and 1,055 Sri Lankan returnees from abroad and 38 foreigners have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. In terms of local cases, 950 Navy personnel and their close contacts have tested positive for the virus as well.
The Army states that 639 persons connected to the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre are also included in the total number of confirmed cases, of which 518 are detainees at the centre, 67 are staff members, 48 are family members and close associates, and five are guest staffers.
In terms of district distribution of cases, 160 patients have been identified from the Colombo District, while 38 persons have been identified from the Gampaha District and 35 persons have been identified from the Puttalam District.
According to the Epidemiology Unit, 135 persons are currently under medical care in the country, of which 69 are at the Welikande Base Hospital, 31 are at the Iranawila Hospital, 22 are at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), nine are at the Minuwangoda Base Hospital, and one is at the Colombo East Base Hospital.
The number of active cases reduced to 135 from 142 at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
There are also 45 persons being monitored at various hospitals due to suspicions of having COVID-19, including 11 at the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Hospital and ten at the Chilaw General Hospital.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 recoveries in the country increased to 2,842 with the recovery of 12 persons during the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. yesterday. The Epidemiology Unit states that 10 of the recoveries were from the Welikande Base Hospital and two were from the Minuwangoda Base Hospital.
According to the Health Promotion Bureau, the country’s recovery rate is 95.11%, while its fatality rate is 0.4%. A total of 12 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in the country so far.
The Health Promotion Bureau added that 219,162 PCR tests have been carried out in the island thus far, including 2,853 on Thursday.
In addition to this, 7,122 persons are currently undergoing quarantine at 70 centres managed by the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and 33,695 persons have completed the process at centres to date.
This includes 308 persons who left quarantine centres yesterday, of which 280 persons left the Wellawatta Hotel OZO Quarantine Centre, 12 persons left the Nipuna Bossa Quarantine Centre, 12 persons left the Jetwing Quarantine Centre, three persons left the Jetwing Blue Quarantine Centre, and one person left the Rajagiriya Ayurvedic Quarantine Centre.
The Army, in a statement issued yesterday, added that 47 persons from Qatar and 22 persons from Dubai arrived in the island and have been directed to quarantine centres.
