Unspecified number of MAS employees test positive for COVID-19
COLOMBO – An unspecified number of employees of MAS Holdings, Sri Lanka’s largest apparel manufacturer, have tested positive for COVID-19, the company said in an official statement on Monday (19).
Despite safety measures taken to contain COVID-19 infections, the company said, “a few of its employees who live in highly contagious areas” have tested positive for the virus.
Stringent measures have been put in place to prevent further spread, it added.
MAS Holdings had closed its facilities in the police curfew areas in the Gampaha district from October 4, including the MAS Active Sleekline facility in Nittambuwa.
The infected patients reported from MAS were individuals who were based in or associated with the infected facilities and were identified when conducting PCR tests, MAS said.
The company is assisting health officials to contact trace and quarantine associates of the patients, it added.
All MAS facilities which remain closed will go through a risk assessment with the Health authorities before re-opening. Other measures the apparel manufacturer has taken include PCR tests in its facilities across the country and on-site protocols for social distancing, sanitations and hygiene measures.
MAS said it has also set up a 24-hour COVID-helpline for internal staff to receive advice, assistance and have grievances addressed.
Meanwhile, the number of patients reported from the Minuwangoda cluster has increased to 2,077 with the new 61 positive cases identified over the past 24 hours.
National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPOC) reports showed that after the first positive case of the Divulapitiya cluster was discovered by health authorities on October 3, within the first week the cluster increased to 1,186 and by October 18 to 2,077,with 1,041 employees and 1,036 close contacts being identified as positive cases.
-economynext.com