474 staff at Sapugaskanda oil refinery test positive for COVID-19

• 342 new COVID-19 patients detected yesterday
• 2,718 COVD-19 patients remain under treatment
• COVID death toll reaches 546 
• 8,938 given the vaccine yesterday
• 9,881 remain in quarantine centres

The number of COVID-19 infected staff at the Sapugaskanda oil refinery reached 474 yesterday after close to 1,200 were subjected to PCR test over the weekend, more test results are expected today. 

Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena issuing a press release confirmed that a 64-year-old patient from Madirigiya who passed away last Friday (19 March) had succumbed to the COVID-19 virus. The confirmation pushed the number of COVID-19 deaths to 546. 

177 persons tested positive COVID-19 virus yesterday, all of whom were contacts of the Peliyagoda Fish Market cluster the National Operations Center for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPC) said yesterday.

According to the Department of the Government Information, yesterday›s count of 342 pushes the total number of confirmed COVID-19 patients to 90,200 of which 85,464 are from the Peliyagoda Fish Market cluster. The number of patients to recover from the virus has reached 86,759 with 239 being released from treatment by mid-day yesterday.

A total of 2,718 infected patients remains under treatment. The highest number of patients – 386, are being treated at the Krishnapuram Treatment Center in Kilinochchi, the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health said.  According to the Epidemiology Unit, 8,938 persons were vaccinated yesterday, bringing the total number of persons vaccinated in Sri Lanka to 824,523. 

According to the NOCPC, 9,881 persons are undergoing the mandatory quarantine program at 99 quarantine centres managed by the armed forces. A total of 7,246 PCR test had been conducted on Saturday. 865 patients who recovered had been discharged from treatment and returned home yesterday, the NOCPC added.