No risk of emerging new Covid clusters:Army Chief

Charges on PCR tests at private hospitals to be regulated

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

Army Commander Shavendra Silva yesterday said that there is no risk of emerging new Covid-19 clusters across the country except the remaining clusters despite several cases identified in several areas.  

He said precautions were being taken at the moment to control the outbreak of Covid-19.  

The Commander said that several patients have been reported in various areas outside the Western Province as well.. “ Most of the cases identified out side the Western Province are due to Covid patients from lock down areas visiting those places,” he said.  

A total of 502 people were contracted with the virus on Wednesday and 262 of them were from Colombo District, 46 from the Kalutara District, and 90 from the Gampaha District.  

The cases identified outside the Western Province were; 15 from Puttalam,  eight from Nuwara Eliya,  seven from Kegalle,  six from Badulla,  five from Kilinochchi,  three from Ratnapura and one each from Kurunegala , Matara and Galle Districts.  

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases reported from Minuwangoda and Peliyagoda Fish Market cluster remained at 17,937 as of yesterday evening.   

Nearly 1,200 cases were reported from the police Covid cluster while the prison Covid cluster had surpassed 700 cases. Meanwhile the Police Field Force Headquarters in Colombo- 5 had been isolated since Wednesday for 14 days after several positive cases were reported. 

 
Up to November 25, a total of 21,469 people had been confirmed COVID-19 positive from all over the country, including the deceased. 15,816 fully-recovered COVID-19 patients had been so far discharged from hospitals and the rest 5,557 were still being under treatment in hospitals.