ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has confirmed 300 new Coronavirus cases on July 10 as authorities traced and tested inmates, staff and contacts of two drug rehabilitation centres and a top official said contacts and visitors the centres are being traced and quarantined quickly.
Authorities had brought back staff on leave and intelligence officers also quarantining visitors who had seen 116 inmates on July 04, Sri Lanka’s military chief Shavendra Silva was quoted as saying by the state information office.
Sri Lanka has got results of 375 tests conducted among 1,150 staff and inmates of two camps run by the Ministry of Justice in Kandakadu and Senapura in Polonnaruwa district, General Silva said and more results were due later on July 10 and July 11.
A quarantine camp in Kandakadu run by the military has been converted into a hospital to treat them.
General Silva said there was a total of 1,150 inmates directed by court to the rehabilitation centre and staff.
By the morning of July 10, tests results of 375 test showed that another 196 had Coronavirus, taking the total found to 253.
“It is likely that more will be found,” General Silva said. “The results are expected later on July 10 and the next morning.”
By 2030 hours 300 cases had been confirmed health ministry data showed.
Sri Lanka had confirmed 2450 Coronavirus cases by 9 July with 296 being confirmed on July 10 according to health ministry data
Staff of the drug rehabilitation centres who had gone on leave had been located and brought back, General Sival said. Their family members have been asked to self-isolate.
General Silva said in May and April no visitors were allowed to come to the centres.
But on July 04, 116 persons were allowed to meet relatives under social distancing.
Intelligence officers now tracing and quarantining them.
“Some have already been quarantined,” General Silva said. “We are taking action to stop the transmission of this virus to the community.”
The cluster was first discovered when an infected person was confirmed in Colombo’s Welikada prison who had been transferred there from a drug rehabilitation camp in Kandakadu.
Staff and inmates of Welikada prison had tested negative to PCR tests. Usually, it takes 14 days or more for contacts to develop the disease. The statement did not say whether they will be isolated and tested again.
After testing those connected to the Kandakadu rehabilitation 57 had been confirmed. Among them was a camp counselor, who had gone on leave to Marawila, Naththandiya.
Her parents and neighbhours have been taken to a quarantine centre.
The statement did not say whether they had been tested. If they test positive a second level of contacts have to be isolated.
Upul Rohana, a public health inspector told local television that political rallies had been held in the area without proper social distancing. (Colombo/July10/2020)