Sri Lanka COVID fatalities cross the 190 mark
674 new cases reported as virus tally crosses 41,000 mark; isolation status lifted from several areas in Colombo, imposed in Aluthkade West and East
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka announced four more COVID-19 related fatalities on Sunday (27), as the death toll reached 191 and the novel coronavirus tally increased to 41,054, with 674 new cases confirmed during the course of the day.
The Department of Government Information in a statement announcing the deaths identified the deceased as three females, one of them from Vavuniya, and a male. Of the females, a 75-year-old from Ragama and a 78-year-old from Kadawatha had died at the Base Hospital Mulleriya, the former of COVID-related pneumonia and an infection in the brain and the latter of COVID-related pneumonia. The third female, a 52-year-old from Vavuniya had died at the Teach Hospital Anuradhapura of COVID-related pneumonia and a heart attack.
Meanwhile, the male aged from Pitakotte, diagnosed as COVID-19 positive while receiving treatment at the General Hospital Colombo and transferred to the Base Hospital Homagama, had also died of COVID-related pneumonia.
The statements said Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, had confirmed the deaths to be COVID-19 related, taking the COVID fatality count to 191
One hundred and seventy seven deaths have now been officially recorded since October 24, many of them at home and several on admission to hospitals, 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, including a prison cluster, with the largest case load reported from the Peliyagoda fish market which now accounts for 37,360, with all but six of the cases confirmed on Sunday linked to the Peliyagoda/prison cluster.
Sunday’s confirmations take Sri Lanka’s novel coronavirus count to 41,054 with 32,701 being deemed recovered and discharged under the new health ministry guidelines, and 8,162 receiving treatment at various designated hospitals across the country.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Army Commander and head of the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), announced on Sunday that effective 5:00 a.m. Monday (28), the Grama Niladhari Divisions of Aluthkade West and Aluthkade East in the Keselwatta Police Division will be placed under isolation until further notice, while Dam Street, Keselwatta and Maradana Police Division will be released from isolation. Other areas released from isolation included the Wekanda and Hunupitiya in the Slave Island Police Division, Mayura Place in the Wellawatta Police Division, Halgahawatta and KalipullaWatta in the Borella Police Division and the Laksanda Sewana Housing Scheme in the Wellampitiya Police Division.
-ENCL