COLOMBO – Sri Lanka announced two more COVID-19 related fatalities and 403 new cases on Sunday (3), taking the death toll to 213 and the novel coronavirus tally to 44,774, with 7,309 actives cases receiving treatment at various designated hospitals across the country.
The Department of Government Information in a statement announcing the deaths identified the deceased as two females aged 57 and 76 from Welipenna and Colombo 15. Both had died at the Homagama Base Hospital of Covid-pneumonia; with the former also suffering from acute heart infection and the letter, heart disease and epilepsy.
The statement said the 57-year-old had been had been diagnosed as COVID-19 positive while receiving treatment at the Kaluthara General Hospital, while the 76-year-had been diagnosed as COVID-19 positive while being treated Colombo General Hospital. Both had been transferred to the Homagama Base Hospital where they died.
Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, confirmed the deaths to be COVID-19 related, taking the COVID fatality count to 213.
One hundred and ninety nine deaths have now been officially recorded since October 24, several on admission to hospitals, since the emergence of a new and more virulent strain of the virus in a new cluster in Minuwangoda, with the apparel factory in the area as the epicentre earlier in the month. Since then the cluster has seen sub-clusters in several parts of the country, including a prison cluster, with the largest case load reported from the Peliyagoda fish market, which now accounts for 4, 031, with all 403 cases confirmed on Sunday linked to the Peliyagoda/prison cluster.
Sunday’s confirmations take Sri Lanka’s novel coronavirus count to 44,774 with 37,252 being deemed recovered and discharged under the new health ministry guidelines.
Meanwhile, the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) announced Monday (4) that the status of isolation placed on the NHS Maligawatta Housing Scheme had been lifted with immediate effect. Earlier on Sunday, the NOCPCO announced the isolation status imposed on several areas in the Colombo and Gamapaha districts would be lifted at 5:00 a.m. Monday.
In the Colombo districts these areas include the police divisions of Modara, Aluthkade West and East in Keselwatta, Wanathamulla in Borella, and Demalawatta (Pitakotte) in Mirihana. In the Gampaha district the areas include the Peliyagodawatta , Meegahawatta , Rohana Vihara Mawatha in Pattiya North Nelligahawatta and Pooranakotu Watta in the Peliyagoda police division and Sri Jayanthi Mawatha in Wilegoda North in the Kiribathgoda police division.
The NOCPIC, quoting Army Commander Gen. Shavendra Silva, said all the other areas placed under isolation will remain isolated until further notice.
-ENCL