28 July 2020 07:06 am
The 41 year old COVID-19 patient who escaped from the IDH last Friday was not infectious and was on the verge of being discharged, pending a final PCR test which was to be conducted on him, Director General of Health Services, Dr. Anil Jasingha told the Daily Mirror yesterday.
However, the State Intelligence Service continue to investigate and contact trace if he had come into contact with more people as he initially lied to the investigators on the route he took.
Evidence proved that he had taken an entirely different route from what was explained. Dr. Jasingha said that very few people, including the three wheel driver were taken into quarantine from that incident but this posed no threat as the patient was not infectious.
"According to his movements, he had not come into public contact. He was not infectious. Though his PCR was positive, he was on the verge of discharge depending on the next PCR. His CT value was high which means the chances for infectivity is very remote," Dr. Jasingha said.
"The SIS will continue to look into this. Earlier he gave a bogus route but going by evidence he had gone elsewhere. But there is no threat of transmission of disease from him," he added.
The 41 year old patient was an inmate from the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre who tested positive for the COVID-19 who was later transferred to the IDH as he had shown symptoms. He has now been transferred back to the Kandakadu Treatment Centre. (JAMILA HUSAIN)