COLOMBO – Sri Lanka police on Tuesday (20) imposed quarantine curfew in Kuliyapitiya, Pannala, Giriulla, Narammala and Dummalasuriya police jurisdictions in the Kurunegala district, as 186 individuals were confirmed as COVID-19 positive from several parts of the country, including the Kurunegala district.
The National Operational Centre for Prevention of COVID- l9 Outbreak (NOCPCO) in a statement issued through the Government Department of Information announced the curfew, imposed with immediate effect from Tuesday, would be in force until further notice.
Curfew imposed in several police divisions in the Gampaha district, including Minuwangoda, Divulapitiya, Veyangoda, Gampaha, Nittambuwa, Meerigama, Yakkala, Ja-ela, Seeduwa and Kandana earlier this month, is still in force, as new cases continue to be recorded daily.
The Government Department of Information announced that 186 COVID-19 cases were reported on Tuesday, 180 of them staff of the Brandix plant in Minuwangoda and their associates, expanding the cluster to 2342. Six arrivals from foreign countries were also confirmed as COVID-19 positive on Tuesday, taking Sri Lanka’s coronavirus tally to 5,811.
NOCPCO said the number of positive cases reported from the Katunayaka Free Trade Zone has also increased to 259.
Meanwhile, NOCPCO, following an emergency session to review the COVID-19 status in the country, urged the public to strictly adhere to safety guidelines, attributing the spread of the virus to relaxed observance of the health guidelines, congestion and living patterns, holding of public functions and gatherings, and irresponsible behaviour of some people.
Lt. Gen Shavendra Silva, who heads NOCPCO, told the attendees at the briefing session that a public gathering for a wedding, attended by contacts of a COVID-19 positive individual, had been confirmed to have caused the transmission, noting that the behaviour of the contacts in a 72-hour period resulted in the increase in the number of cases, prompting authorities to clamp curfew in other areas, too. “Further, information confirmed that the same residential quarters of some FTZ workers, some of which are congested, are shared by employees of other factories as well and this has contributed to transmission,” he said, claiming that the virus carriers had paid less attention of virus or its spread when they moved out to other areas.
Silva urged all citizens to provide true information about their movements, contacts they have had with virus affected individuals, and imposition of self-quarantine practices, as such mechanism would largely facilitate the tasks of those engaged in prevention roles.
He also informed that the Kandakadu Hospital with more than 400 beds, constructed by the Army would be vested in the Health Department at the request of health ministry officials for use in an emergency, if the situation worsens.
-ENCL