14 new Covid-19 cases detected yesterday

• 663 reported cases
• 154 patients recovered

By Sandun A Jayasekera

Fourteen new COVID-19 cases were detected yesterday with the total number of infected persons rising to 663 by last evening.

Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva said due to relentless efforts of the health authorities, armed forces and the Police, the COVID-19 threat was receding steadily and added however, the danger still loomed.

Of the 30 detected on Wednesday night, 20 were naval ratings and the others were those on leave while seven were relatives of them. Another was an Army soldier.

In Kurunegala, 213 men and women from Wariyapola and Panduwasnuwara were sent for quarantine at Vavuniya and 49 Sri Lankans who arrived from a Indonesian pilgrimage were released from Katukeliyawa quarantine centre after a spell of 14-day quarantine.

Up to yesterday, 6,295 Sri Lankans had been put under self quarantine in their houses. COVID-19 infected persons were also found in Badulla, Talatuoya, Kantale and Hokandara. There was a drug addict from Gunasinghapura who had gone to Anuradhapura and infected a number of persons,

The Consultant Physician of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Dr. Eranga Narangoda said 5 COVID-19 patients were released yesterday from the NIID after full recovery bringing the number of patients recovered to 154 and the total number of confirmed hospitalisations stood at 503.

Two patients were admitted to the NIID yesterday while the NIID had its full capacity of 148 COVID-19 patients by yesterday.

District wise, there were 157 patients with viral infections in hospitals in Colombo yesterday, 65 in Kalutara, 47 in Gampaha, 41 in Puttalam, 23 in Kurunegala, 16 in Jaffna, 15 in Kandy, 12 in Anuradhapura, 8 in Kegalle and Ratnapura, 4 in Moneragala, 3 in Hambantota and Badulla, two each in Matara, Kalmunai, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and one each in Galle, Batticaloa, Matale, Polonnaruwa and Ampara bringing the number of those receiving hospital treatment to 619.