COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Parliament has been closed for two days, effective Monday (26), for a disinfection process after a sub-inspector of police in charge of the police officers’ kitchen and canteen tested positive for COVID-19.
Secretary General of Parliament Dammika Dassanayake is quoted in the media as saying the decision to close the Parliament complex on Monday and Tuesday (27) was taken after the detection and that all staff attached to the complex had been asked to stay at home.
Meanwhile, several Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel attached to the VIP Security Unite had also reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus, compelling Parliament officials to replace all STF personnel deployed for Parliament Security.
Officials have said a new team of STF personnel will be deployed by STF headquarters shortly.
Health authority officials confirmed that 10 STF personnel from the Peliyagoda,Wedamulla and Kohuwala camps attached to the VIP Security Unit had tested positive for COVID-19. They also said the three camps had been placed on isolation and all personnel at the camps have been directed for PCR testing.
Reportedly the STF personnel had recently visited the Peliyagoda fish market, the epicentre of a sub-cluster linked to the Minuwangoda cluster which now registers over 4000 confirmed cases.
Meanwhile three policemen attached to the Narahenpita police hospital, Seeduwa police and Mirihana police stations have also tested positive for COVID-19.
-ENCL