Reply To:
Name - Reply Comment
Last Updated : 2024-04-26 13:57:00
By JAMILA HUSAIN
Army Commander and Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva yesterday denied reports of a lockdown in Matara following a Russian airline crew member being tested COVID-19 positive, the patient was carrying a very low percentage of the virus which was not contagious.
Silva, who is also the Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) told Daily Mirror that the patient had not travelled outside the hotel in Matara, where he together with other airline crew members were under quarantine, but four other people who were with the crew had travelled outside.
Health Ministry sources said that a probe was underway to see how they had broken the quarantine procedures. After the patient tested positive, the hotel staff, their families and all those who had travelled on the flight were taken into quarantine as a preventive measure. The flight touched down at the Mattala International Airport recently along with a group of 13 other Russian nationals. Till last evening, 150 people had already been tracked down and further contact-tracing was ongoing. “The fact remains that the level of virus present in this patient’s body is only 32 percent. This is not a level that can transmit the virus to another person. We have produced the patient and all others once again for a PCR test and are awaiting the results,” Silva said. “This is not a big issue and it is totally under control,” he added. Meanwhile, Health Ministry sources said that four members who had arrived in the flight had travelled to some areas in Matara, but since the virus level in the patient’s body was low, the risk of transmission was also minimal. However, as precautionary measure, contact tracing was ongoing and all those who had come in contact with them were placed under quarantine.
Gamarala Saturday, 26 September 2020 10:37 PM
Shouldn't a medical professional be in charge of all COVID related matters? It is not right for the Army to comment on medical matters.
Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.
Reply To:
Name - Reply Comment
US authorities are currently reviewing the manifest of every cargo aboard MV
On March 26, a couple arriving from Thailand was arrested with 88 live animal
According to villagers from Naula-Moragolla out of 105 families 80 can afford
Is the situation in Sri Lanka so grim that locals harbour hope that they coul