57 from Kandakadu test positive for COVID-19

• Female staffer tests positive for virus in Marawila Hospital   
• 10 families sent to self-quarantine  

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

At least 56 people of the 450 inmates and staff members at the Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre – East in Kandakadu, tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe said.  
 
He said reports of the PCR tests performed on the rest of them were yet to be received.   

An inmate, who was transferred from Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre to Welikada Prison tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday (07), following which 315 inmates of the Welikada prison were subjected to PCR tests.   

According to PCR reports, none of them tested positive for the virus.   

Moreover, Dr. Jasinghe said a female counsellor (27) attached to the Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre also tested positive for the virus from Marawila yesterday.   
She had been subjected to a PCR test at the Marawila Hospital. She is a resident of Kottaramulla, Naththandiya.   

This case becomes the first Covid-19 case that was reported from the community after 70 days. The last Covid-19 case from the society was reported on March 30.   
Meanwhile, Puttalam Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Dinusha Fernando said there were symptoms like cough and fever at the time she came home on July 03.   
 “She had received medical treatment from a doctor. However, when this was notified to the MOH of the area, he has rushed to her last morning.   

Accordingly, she had been directed to undergo a PCR test at the Marawila Hospital where she tested positive for the virus.   

It has been found that the woman had gone to a tailor shop and a house and the people in the tailor shop and the house have been subjected to PCR tests.   
At least, 45 people of 10 families, who have maintained links with the woman, have been sent to self-quarantine process.   

Health authorities have launched an operation to further identify the contacts of the woman, who tested positive for the virus from Marawila and send them to quarantine process.   
The Epidemiology Unit reported 2,154 Covid-19 cases from Sri Lanka upto 7 pm yesterday.    

He said reports of the PCR tests performed on the rest of them were yet to be received.   

An inmate, who was transferred from Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre to Welikada Prison tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday (07), following which 315 inmates of the Welikada prison were subjected to PCR tests.   

According to PCR reports, none of them tested positive for the virus. 

 
Moreover, Dr. Jasinghe said a female counsellor (27) attached to the Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre also tested positive for the virus from Marawila yesterday.   
She had been subjected to a PCR test at the Marawila Hospital. She is a resident of Kottaramulla, Naththandiya.   

This case becomes the first Covid-19 case that was reported from the community after 70 days. The last Covid-19 case from the society was reported on March 30.   
Meanwhile, Puttalam Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Dinusha Fernando said there were symptoms like cough and fever at the time she came home on July 03.   
 “She had received medical treatment from a doctor. However, when this was notified to the MOH of the area, he has rushed to her last morning.   

Accordingly, she had been directed to undergo a PCR test at the Marawila Hospital where she tested positive for the virus.   It has been found that the woman had gone to a tailor shop and a house and the people in the tailor shop and the house have been subjected to PCR tests.   

At least, 45 people of 10 families, who have maintained links with the woman, have been sent to self-quarantine process.   

Health authorities have launched an operation to further identify the contacts of the woman, who tested positive for the virus from Marawila and send them to quarantine process.   
The Epidemiology Unit reported 2,154 Covid-19 cases from Sri Lanka upto 7 pm yesterday.   

Still in the process of identifying risk communities

Chief Epidemiologist of the Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera told the Daily Mirror that health authorities expected such kind of cases and added that was why they carried out random PCR tests consistently from the society.  “We are still in the process of identifying risk communities,” he added.  He further said they were yet to identify as to how the person, who tested positive for Covid-19 from the Welikada prison, was diagnosed with the virus. 

Special conference to discuss issue

A special conference was held yesterday with the participation of health authorities and law enforcement bodies to discuss relevant measures to be taken in this regard.