49 Covid-19 patients detected yesterday

Highest number of positive cases on a single day

• A staggering total of 417 infected patients detected

By Sandun A Jayasekera   

The number of Covid-19 positive patients rose to 417  with a staggering 49 new cases detected yesterday and the steep rise made it the highest number of infected cases identified on single day so far, health authorities announced.  

The figure increased with 35 more navy personnel at the Welisara Naval Base being identified to be Covid-19 positive. This is in addition to the 30 sailors who were detected to be Covid-19 positive on Thursday at the same location. 

 
In addition 11 civilians from Bandaranayake Mawatha in Keselwatta, Colombo were found to be coronavirus positive yesterday, adding to the total.   

Another patient -a pregnant female- seeking treatment at the De Soysa Hospital for Women in Colombo, was reported to have tested positive to the virus last evening, bringing the total number of patients in the country to 417.   

Health officials said the patient was a resident of Maradana. Her unborn child had died in her womb.   
Hospital authorities were however, unable to ascertain the cause of death of the unborn child.   
Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Lt. General Shavendra Silva said 65 navy personnel had tested positive at the Welisara Naval base. He added that with the permission of the Navy Commander, the place has been isolated and travelling to and from the detachment had been prohibited for 14 days.   
“Many of the navy personnel have been infected by a naval rating from Lankapura, Polonnaruwa, who had participated in a raid conducted at Suduwella,in Ja-Ela to apprehend a Covid-19 patient. We also isolated 12 villages in Polonnaruwa and sent 43 persons from 11 families into quarantine at Batticaloa,” Mr. Silva said.   
Meanwhile, Consultant Physician of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Dr. Eranga Narangoda said six Covid-19 patients were admitted to the NIID yesterday raising the number of patients at the hospital to 98 and added two patients were released in the morning and another five were released in the afternoon from the NIID yesterday after full recovery.