The health guidelines and advisories issued early this  month to be effective from May 11 for the state and private sector  establishments and their employees will be applied to the entire country  after curfew is relaxed countrywide from tomorrow onwards, a top health  official said.   

The number of fully recovered rose to 674 yesterday with the release of 14 patients

Deputy Director General Health Services Dr. Paba  Palihawadana told the Daily Mirror that the employees of the state and the private sector are expected to attend to their workplaces as in  pre-Covid-19 period, but they must strictly adhere to basic health guidelines like washing of hands at the entrance to the office or work  place, wearing a surgical mask during office hours,  maintaining a safe distance between each other while travelling in train  or bus etc.   

“We must not lower our guard on Covid-19 for a moment only because the government relaxed curfew and normalcy returned to the country. If we let complacency set in, the viral infection can re-emerge  in epidemic proportions. All Sri Lankans must be determined not to let it happen,” Dr. Palihawadana emphasised.   
Meanwhile, Director General of Health Services, Dr. Anil  Jasinghe said 51 individuals tested positive last night spiralling  the total number of Covid-19 victims to 1,140. He said 19 out of 21  patients found positive on Saturday (23) were sailors. Two others were those who returned from Dubai and remained in a quarantine centre.   
The number of fully recovered rose to 674 yesterday with the release of 14 patients.   

Dr. Jasinghe said the largest number of PCR tests of 1,998  was done on Saturday at 20 labs and 400 of the tests were on Navy  personnel.   

With the completion of their quarantine process, 237 sailors  and another 29 persons left the quarantine centres established at Boossa  Naval Base and at Anuradhapura on Saturday.   

Eleven (11) persons who engage in international ships  security duties and underwent quarantine at Boossa Naval Base and 18  naval family members belong to four families who were in Naval quarantine  centre at Anuradhapura area, on completion of quarantine process,  proceeded to their homes. These persons were sent off for homes following  the healthcare guidelines of the government and also given the  Quarantine Certificates by the Navy.   
Accordingly, all naval family members underwent quarantine at the Naval quarantine centre at Anuradhapura, have been sent off  by now. One hundred and seventy-nine (179) persons from 23 groups have left  the Boossa Naval quarantine centre after successful completion of their  quarantine process.   

Meanwhile, 85 more Sri Lankans are currently undergoing the quarantine process at this centre. Meanwhile, 276 Sri Lankans stranded  in Dhaka, Bangladesh were airlifted early last morning on a special  SriLankan Airlines flight. (Sandun A Jayasekera)