COLOMBO – The Peliyagoda fish market, source of the largest and growing COVID-19 cluster in Sri Lanka is set to re-open for wholesale trade on Wednesday (16), under strict virus control health guidelines.
M. I. Ratnayakem Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, in a statement issued through the Government Department of Information on Tuesday (15) said the fish-market, temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be re-opened under Health Ministry guidelines for limited wholesale activities. He also said the market would be re-modelled to confirm to health ministry guidelines for retail sales shortly.
The fish-market, the largest such market which draws thousands of vendors from all parts of the country on a daily basis, has been closed since October, when the first few cases of COVID-19 was confirmed, shortly after the Minuwangoda cluster emerged. Since then the virus has spread to literally all parts of the country, with the cluster now standing at over 30,000 cases. distribution and selling centre to all corners of the country.
The cluster has also seen the COVID-death numbers spike to over 150.
Meanwhile, Unity Plaza mall, one of the familiar landmarks in Colombo was shut down Tuesday morning, following the detection of four COVID-19 positive cases connected to the mall. The detection was made after random PCR tests carried out in the area.
The National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPOC) said the mall had been temporarily closed and all staff will be subject to PCR testing.
NOCPOC said both PCR and rapid antigen tests were being carried out to speed up the process, with the objective of containing the spread of the virus.
-ENCL