New COVID-19 variant enters Colombo city

• Patient taken to treatment facility but residents not received official communication from the Havelock City management
• Authorities have begun contact tracing
• 1 patient from Havelock City tests positive for new variant
• Other cases from Biyagama, Avissawella, Vavuniya
• No official was available for a comment until this news went to print

By JAMILA HUSAIN

One patient from Havelock City in Colombo was tested positive yesterday for the new, highly contagious UK variant of COVID-19, making it the first case to be detected in the Colombo city, the Daily Mirror learns.

The patient, who tested positive for the new variant has been removed from the premises and taken to a treatment facility while authorities have begun contact tracing to identify the patient’s first and second contacts. 
A senior health official told the Daily Mirror that the patient’s family members were placed under quarantine and necessary measures were being taken to prevent a further spread.  When contacted last evening, some residents from Havelock City said they had not received any official communication from the Havelock City management over a patient being detected with the new variant within the premises. No one from Havelock City was available for an official comment until this news went to print.  Meanwhile, in addition to this, cases of the new variant were detected from Biyagama, Avissawella and Vavuniya.

Colombo continues to be a hot spot for the COVID-19 virus with the highest number of patients being reported from the Western Province. 

Health experts have warned that the number of infected patients may rise in the coming weeks due to the spread of the new variant and the public have been encouraged to wear two masks - a surgical mask and a tight fitting cloth mask on top of it as practised in other countries that are facing a vast spread of this virus.
Authorities have insisted they will not go in for an islandwide lockdown or of the Western Province but said appropriate measures will be taken to prevent a spread of the new variant.

• Authorities have insisted they will not go in for an islandwide or Western Province lockdown