55 COVID-19 patients recover; 16 test positive

• 552 patients remain under treatment; cumulative cases top 1,900 mark
• 740 Sailors recovered in total, 145 remain under treatment
• 130 repatriated from Pakistan yesterday
• 89 Iranian workers for Uma Oya project expected last night
• 222 released from quarantine, 4463 remain in quarantine centres

By Asiri Fernando

Fifty-five COVID-19 infected patients recovered and were discharged from care yesterday, raising the total number to recover to 1342. 

The number spurred Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 patient recovery rate to reach 70.59%, surpassing the global average recovery rate of 51.67%, the Health Promotion Bureau reported. 

16 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to 1905. According to the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, 552 remain under care at 11 specialised hospitals as of last evening. 11 patients have succumbed to the virus.  Of the 16 persons who tested positive yesterday, 13 were repatriated Sri Lankans - six from the Maldives, five from Kuwait and one each from Bangladesh and Pakistan – with the other three cases being Navy personnel.

The National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID) and the Base Hospital Hambantota treat the highest number of patients, with each hospital treating 97 and 105 COVID-19 patients respectively. Forty-six patients suspected of having COVID-19 symptoms are being monitored by health authorities. According to the Information Department, a total of 1116 PCR test for COVID-19 was carried out on Sunday (14 June) with 5 persons testing positive. 

A total of 740 infected Navy Sailors have been discharged and moved in to post-treatment quarantine after recovering from COVID-19 as of yesterday evening, the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPOC) said. According to the Navy, all discharged Sailors were subjected to PCR tests for the COVID-19 virus prior to being moved to quarantine. 145 Sailors remain hospitalised for treatment.   130 Sri Lankans were repatriated from Pakistan yesterday, 58 of them returning military officers who were overseas on training. They were repatriated on SriLankan Airlines flight UL-1282 and were moved into quarantine centres after being subjected to a COVID-19 PCR test at the airport. 220 persons who completed the quarantine program returned home yesterday, after returning negative results for PCR tests. They were released from five quarantine centres. 

According to the NOCPOC, a total of 14,097 persons have returned home after completing quarantine at centres managed by the military. Another 4463 remain in quarantine at 43 centres around the island as of last evening.

89 specialist workers from Iran who are needed for the Uma Oya Multi-Purpose Development Project were expected to arrive in Sri Lanka last night, the NOCPOC added, pointing out that they will be quarantined at the housing centre at Karadagolla under the supervision of the Sri Lanka Army.