Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who was transferred to the ICU of the National Infectious Disease Hospital last morning, is not in critical condition and is recovering well although she is being given oxygen due to some breathing difficulties, the Minister's husband, Kanchana Jayarathna told the Daily Mirror yesterday.

According to Mr. Jayarathna, the Minister was being treated for COVID19 at the KDU Hospital but had developed some breathing difficulties earlier this week. The doctors had then advised that she be transferred to the ICU of the IDH as she was also suffering from high fever and chills.

"She is not in a critical condition. She has high fever and chills. But according to the doctors she is getting better as they have started medication on her. She is on oxygen but recovering well," Jayarathna said.

Jayarathna and his family themselves have been placed under quarantine following Pavithra testing positive but a second PCR test conducted on them yesterday also came in negative. No one in the Minister's security division has also tested positive. However the Minister's family continues to be under home quarantine.

Further, responding to criticism that the Minister had consumed the anti COVID-19 tonic, made by ayurvedic practitioner Dhammika Bandara, Jayarathna said the Minister had not been consuming the syrup but just had a spoon the day Bandara visited her ministry to gift it to her.

He said Wanniarachchi had advised the tonic to undergo the necessary clinical trials but had not endorsed it in any way.

"Neither was the Minister or our family consuming this tonic. The Minister only took a spoon of it because Bandara had visited her and gifted her a bottle. The story has been taken out of context," Jayarathna said.

Authorities are still trying to find the source of how the Minister was infected with the COVID-19 virus but Jayarathna said since she visited several hospitals personally, she may have contracted it then. She also attended parliamentary sessions where seven MPS have already been infected.

However he said the Minister had taken all the necessary precautions when going out on her official duties.(JAMILA HUSAIN)