COLOMBO – Sri Lanka recorded three more COVID-19 related fatalities and 337 new cases on Monday (23), taking the country’s novel coronavirus death toll to 90, and the virus count to 20,508.
The Department of Government Information in a statement announcing the multiple deaths, identified the deceased as two females aged 86 and 60, from Heyyanthuduwa in the Gampaha District and Colombo 14, and a male aged 60 from Mattakkuliya, Colombo 15.
The statement said the 86-year-old female, diagnosed as COVID-19 infected had died at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), and the cause of death was determined to be severe infection caused by COVID-19 virus. The 60-year-old female had died at the General Hospital Colombo where she was admitted earlier in the day. The cause of death was determined to be heart attack brought upon by the COVID-19 infection.
The 60-year-old male, diagnosed as COVID-19 positive had died at the Intensive Care Unit of the Homagama Base Hospital, of sepsis caused by the infection.
The statement said Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, had confirmed all three deaths to be COVID-19 related, taking the COVID fatality count to 90
Seventy seven deaths have now been officially recorded since October 24, many of them at home, 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, with the largest case load reported from the Peliyagoda fish market. As of Monday, the Minuwangoda/Peliyagoda cluster had recorded 16,978 cases.
According to the Department of Government Information daily update, all but two of Monday’s confirmations are linked to the Peliyagoda cluster and take Sri Lanka’s novel coronavirus count to 20,508, with 14,497 being deemed recovered and discharged under the new health ministry guidelines that don’t require multiple PCR tests, and 5,921 receiving treatment at various designated hospitals across the country.
In related development, the isolation order placed on the Police Divisions of Borella, Wellampitiya, Colombo Fort and Slave Island in the Colombo district, were lifted at 5:00 a.m. Monday, but the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) said 13 Police Divisions in the district continued to remain under isolation. The divisions include Mattakkuliya, Modara, Bloemendhal, Kotahena, Grandpass , Fore Shore, Wolfendhal Street, Maligawatta, Dematagoda, Keselwatta, Maradana , Pettah and Dam Street.
In the Gampaha district, the isolation order on Ja-Ela and Kadawatha were lifted at 5:00 on Monday, but Negombo, Ragama, Wattala, Peliyagoda and Kelaniya remained under isolation until further notice.
Meanwhile, several areas in the Kalutara district were placed under isolation with on Sunday. These include Grama Niladhari Divisoins of Bogahawatta, Bamunumulla (Muslim), Kirimanthudawa, Korawala, Atalugama West, Bamunumulla and Galagahamandiya.
Separately, schools in all provinces other than the Western Province and areas under isolation, reopened on Monday, but reports said attendance was significantly low due to fears of the virus spreading.
-ENCL