50 COVID-19 infections in sri lanka

PIC: Waruna Wanniarachchi

By Sandun A Jayasekera

The total number of COVID-19 infections in Sri Lanka increased to 50 with nine more being diagnosed with the viral infection by late afternoon yesterday.   

Health Minister Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi said the government had received proposals from many parts and individuals of the country to lockdown Sri Lanka but the government had no such intentions.  She told the media at the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID-19 last afternoon that the government was concerned about the-low income families and Samurdhi beneficiaries, who live on daily earnings.   

“If the government declared a lockdown these families will be deprived of their livelihood. The government is not in a position to declare a lockdown even for a week,” she stressed. “Those newly diagnosed for COVID-19 infection yesterday were from Italy, UK, India, and Qatar,” she said.  

 “Two were tourist guides,” Minister Wanniarachchi said.  

She added 90% of patients were those who arrived home from abroad.   

Minister Wanniarachchi said 24-hospitals had been equipped islandwide for treatment of viral infected patients and those sent for quarantine.   

Minister Wanniarachchi appealed the public not to use the holidays declared by the government for merry-making trips or holiday trips and requested to remain at home.   Meanwhile, a total of 212 Sri Lankans and four foreign nationals were under medical observation for possible infection at various hospitals in the country. Details: 81 Sri Lankans and one foreigner at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Angoda, 24 at District Hospital, Polonnaruwa and 13 Sri Lankans each at National Hospital Colombo, Teaching Hospital, Ragama and District Hospital, Negombo, 20 Sri Lankans at Teaching Hospital, Kurunegala.   

Eight and seven Sri Lankans were at Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura and Teaching Hospital, Ratnapura respectively.  

Four at National Hospital Kandy and Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, three at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Borella, two each at Teaching Hospital, Batticaloa and District Hospital, Badulla and one at Teaching Hospital, Jaffna.   

Four foreigners and 19 Sri Lankans at the District Hospital, Polonnaruwa, 15 Sri Lankans and six foreigners at the District Hospital, Negombo and two foreigners and 15 Sri Lankans at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle, 14 Sri Lankans at District Hospital Gampaha and 13 Sri Lankans at teaching Hospital, Kurunegala, 12 Sri Lankans at the Teaching Hospital, Ratnapura, six Sri Lankans each at Teaching Hospital, Anuradhapura and Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Four Sri Lankans and two foreign nationals at National Hospital Kandy, two Sri Lankans each at Badulla District Hospital and Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Borella and one at the Teaching Hospital Batticaloa and Teaching Hospital, Jaffna were under medical observation by yesterday.   In the global scene, there were 199,309 confirmed cases of COVID 19 infections by late afternoon yesterday with 7,994 deaths in 162 countries as at yesterday.