Sri Lanka bans public gatherings amid COVID-19 resurgence
COLOMBO –The Ministry of Health on Tuesday (6) banned all public gatherings in the island until further notice as the COVID-19 count from Minuwangoda Brandix cluster continued to soar.
A further 124 employees from the Brandix plant were confirmed as COVId-19 positive by 9:40 p.m. Tuesday, taking the day’s tally from the cluster to a staggering 738, and the total cluster count to 832.
Ten Sri Lankans returning from overseas were also confirmed as COVId-19 positive, taking the country’s tally to 4,252.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health urged the public and all organizations to refrain from organizing, promoting, or conducting any event that forms a public gathering. It highlighted exhibitions, large conferences, parties, indoor and outdoor events, carnivals, musical shows, and processions (including religious) as activities that should not be conducted anywhere in the country until further notice.
Noting that the occurrence of a COVID-19 case in one area requires vigilant public action to practice strict COVID-19 precautions to curtail any further transmission, the ministry said further information regarding public activities and work settings will be available in the guidelines updated for the period of October 31, subject to revision, pending the recent COVID-19 transmission situation.
In a separate statement, the ministry also warned of legal action against COVId-19 positive patients from the Gampaha district refusing to be transferred via ambulance to designated hospitals.
The statement said a number of COVID-19 positive cases had been detected from the Gampaha district following PCR tests, and arrangements had been made to transfer them from their homes to designated hospitals via ambulance. However, several patients had reportedly rejected the ministry gesture, refusing the ambulance transfer.
The statement quoted the Minister of Health, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, as urging the COVID-19 positive individuals to make use of the ambulance facility provided by the ministry in the interest of public health and safety, and warned legal action would be taken against those refusing treatment.
Separately, the Department of Government Information said in a statement that public services have been suspended over the next three days at the Department of Registration of Persons, the Department of Immigration and Emigration and the Department of Motor Traffic
All three Departments announced that public services will be suspended from the October 7 to 9 at the head offices and regional offices.
-ENCL