Navy personnel infected during hunt for drug addicts

By JAMILA HUSAIN   

The navy officers who tested positive for the Covid-19 from the Welisara Navy camp entered Suduwella in Ja-Ela to hunt for drug addicts as criminal activities such as drug trafficking has seen a rise in recent weeks, a government official told Daily Mirror yesterday.  

In addition to limiting the spread of the COVID-19, tri force personnel have launched extensive operations to eliminate illegal activities such as drug trafficking and it was during such a raid that the team of navy personnel were exposed to the virus.   

“In Sri Lanka these days, while we remain indoors. there is also an increased criminal activity,” the official said. “In the case of Suduwella, this team of navy officers, and soldiers were after a group of drug addicts,” the official added.   

According to the army, when one naval officer began to show symptoms, he was tested for the virus immediately after which his entire barrack and the Welisara Navy camp was declared an isolated zone.   
The naval officer tested positive for the COVID-19 after which PCR tests were conducted on other officers which led to a further 29 naval officers testing positive for the virus on Thursday evening.   

As more officers from the camp were tested yesterday, a further 30 officers tested positive.   
The government has assured the safety of all tri force personnel, medical doctors, police, public health inspectors and all those in the frontlines of the pandemic saying they have been given all the required protective gear as well as maintained all the safety measures as possible.   

However  tackling criminal activities has led to certain breaches of security  to the safety regulations.   

• Tri force personnel and all frontliners given protective gear