20 March 2020 12:09 am
Health Services Director Anil Jasinghe said yesterday seven more patients were tested positive for COVID-19 by yesterday afternoon, increasing the total number of patients diagnosed with the virus to 59 out of which 81 per cent was male and 19 per cent was female.
Addressing the daily press conference of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak, he said the seven patients identified yesterday were wife and daughter of the gem businessman, two others from a quarantine centre, a 64-year-old who was under observation at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital (CNTH), a 23-year-old who was at the IDH Hospital and a child.
He said 45 per cent of the identified patients were between the age limit of 41 and 50 and 16 per cent were aged between 31 and 40 and nearly 95 per cent of the patients were Sri Lankans.
Dr. Jasinghe said with the increase in the number of patients, treatment services would be extended where the Colombo East Base Hospital (CEBH) Mulleriyawa would be converted into a Corona Treatment Centre from today and that the army would assist in modifying the hospital to suit the treatments.
He said Colombo Eye Hospital and Dental Hospital Colombo would be opened only for emergency care from today. Army Commander Shavendra Silva said a special flight has not been arranged to bring down Sri Lankan Pilgrims in India as planned and said they have been asked to return from the SriLankan flights that are leaving for India daily.
DIG Ajith Rohana said 8,437 out of those who arrived in the country between March 1 and 9 have been registered with the police for self quarantine and 4,498 of them were from the Western province, 1,100 from Central Province and 742 from North Western Province.
He said police together with Consumer Affairs Authority would raid business outlets that sell sanitary items such as face masks and gloves exceeding the fixed price.