Confirmed Covid-19 cases remain at 190

• Two more fully-recovered persons discharged from NIID

By Sandun A Jayasekera   

Two more fully-recovered patients were discharged from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) while the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection stood at 190 yesterday with 7 deaths.   

The total number of recovered persons was 50 and 224 were under medical observation.   

There were no deaths reported within the 24 hours that ended at 12 noon yesterday, National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Eranga Narangoda said.   
District wise, there were 44 patients with viral infections in Colombo yesterday, 34 in Puttalam, 26 in Kalutara, 16 in Gampaha, seven in Kandy and Jaffna, three each in Ratnapura and Kurunegala and two at Matara, one each at Galle, Kegalle, Batticaloa and Badulla Districts. Among the 190 receiving hospital treatment, four are foreigners.   

Our Puttalam Correspondent Hiran Priyankara reports that a group of 65 individuals who were in hiding from health and police authorities at Alcassim City and Palaviya were rounded up by officials of the Puttalam MOH office and the Police on Thursday night and sent for a spell of 21 day quarantine at the Punani quarantine center.   They have been in close contact with a COVID 19 victim who had been residing at the Alcassim housing scheme and had arrived back in mid March after a pilgrimage to Indonesia.   

Meanwhile, acting Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander, Lt. General Shavendra Silva said 1, 347 men and women were still at the quarantine centres and 3,496 persons had been released from quarantine centres maintained by the tri-forces in various locations in the country.   

Admiral Prof. Jayantha Colombage, Director General of the National Security Studies of Sri Lanka (NSSSL) said two Sri Lankans who had been stranded at the Dubai International Airport and another at the Maldivian airport were airlifted by the national carrier SriLankan Airlines yesterday.   

The Cabinet that met on Wednesday authorised the Foreign Relations Ministry to make arrangements to provide air travel facilities to 33 Sri Lankans who had been stranded at airports in various countries since the COVID 19 outbreak, to return home. 

• Two Sri Lankans who had been stranded at the Dubai International Airport  and another at the Maldivian airport were airlifted by the national  carrier SriLankan Airlines yesterday