Number of Covid-19 cases could decline in next few days: DGHS

By Sandun A Jayasekera

Director General, Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Anil Jasinghe yesterday expressed hope that the number of Covid-19 detections would decline further in the next few days as victims of the viral infection among Navy personnel had gradually dropped.   

“We found only 6 positive cases on Monday (12) night and all of them were from the Welisara Naval detachment. There were no infections detected from among the society other than close associates of those Naval ratings of the Welisara Naval detachment and their family members. The six positive cases among Naval ratings were detected during the PCR tests carried out at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital.This is a positive development. But we must remain alert as the possibility of re-emergence of infections in big numbers is still there,” Dr. Jasinghe stressed.   
Meanwhile, the total number of infections in the country surged to 879 yesterday with the six new cases found on Monday.   

Consultant Physician of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Dr. Eranga Narangoda said there were no new admissions to the NIID after full recovery bringing the number of patients fully recovered to 366 and the total number of confirmed hospitalizations to 494.   

District wise, there were 150 patients with viral infections in hospitals in Colombo yesterday, 36 in Gampaha, 35 in Puttalam, 34 in Kalutara, 13 in Kandy, 11 in Kurunegala, 7 in Jaffna, 5 in Ratnapura, 4 each in Kegalle and Monaragala, 2 each in Anuradhapura, Matale and Kalmunai, one each in Badulla, Matara, Galle, Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa Districts totaling the number of those under hospital treatment at 824. 

 
In quarantine centres, there were 44 Sri Lankans who arrived from abroad and 66 locals. In addition 435 Navy personnel,11 from other forces and three foreigners were under quarantine yesterday.