Active cases remain at 99, seven people cured
Asiri Hospital says preventive measures taken after patient tested positive for COVID-19
Patient transferred to IDH, all hospital personnel at risk in isolation
501 more people leave quarantine centres
Number of curfew violators arrested by police top 4,000
No new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed yesterday, keeping active cases at 99 after seven people were cured from a total of 106 cases, health officials said as the Government continued its efforts to limit the virus outbreak and its impact.
The latest update from the Epidemiology Unit stated that of the 99 patients, 88 are at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), 10 at the Welikanda Base Hospital, and one at the Mulleriyawa Base Hospital. Of the confirmed patients, 34 are from the quarantine centres, 25 are from Colombo district, 15 from Kalutara district, and 10 from Gampaha district.
The total number of individuals in hospitals was 238, and this includes 99 at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID), 24 at the Welikanda Base Hospital, 14 at the District General Hospital Gampaha, and 14 at the Homagama Base Hospital.
Asiri Hospital yesterday said a patient who had been under treatment at a State hospital, whose family deliberately withheld relevant information, tested positive for COVID-19 at Asiri Medical Hospital on 26 March. “The patient was immediately transferred to IDH and all hospital personnel who were put at risk have been isolated and are under observation under the guidance of the Epidemiology Unit,” the hospital said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile another batch of 501 persons who completed a 14-day quarantine procedure at centres managed by the Army were released a short while ago. According to military spokesman Brig. Chandana Wickremarathna, 25 persons from the Kandakadu Centre, 309 from Diyatalawa Centre, and 67 from the Punani centre were released after a medical check-up yesterday morning.
The Army had arranged transportation for the group to return to their respective homes. This brings the number of people held in 46 quarantine centres to about 2,300 from about 3,500 at the start of the week.
The Police department also arrested more individuals who had attempted to break curfew regulations, bringing the total number of persons arrested this week to 4,018. The violators had been caught on the streets during the island-wide curfew, disregarding the risk they pose to public health in a time of crisis. ‘’Police will take legal action against those arrested,’’ Police Spokesman SP Jaliya Senarathne said. The number of vehicles seized by the Police for breaching the curfew has reached 1,033.
(FT)