One more COVID-19 death, total cases at 189

The number of COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka reached seven and total cases climbed to 189 yesterday, prompting health authorities to expand treatment facilities, and call on the Government to refrain from loosening curfew, as the next few weeks remained crucial to effectively countering the virus.

The warning came as the seventh infected patient, a 44-year old gem merchant and resident of Mount Lavinia, succumbed to COVID-19 last evening. Four persons tested positive for the virus yesterday, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 189. Three of the four had closely associated with a COVID-19 infected patient from Ratnapura. Health authorities were treating 140 active cases while 42 patients have been released from care after recovering. There are 228 hospitalised people being closely monitored by healthcare authorities. Issuing a press release, Director General of Health Services Dr Anil Jasinghe said that the outbreak from the returnees from Italy has now reached the final stage. “At the moment we have those who were exposed due to persons who returned from Indonesia, India, and Dubai. We have expanded testing, but found fewer patients than we anticipated, this is a good trend. However, we will increase testing of target groups.” Nevertheless, if the current countermeasures put in place to prevent the spread of the virus are relaxed, the current situation could swiftly take a turn for the worse, he stated. Social distancing and other public health regulations need to be adhered to strictly, he urged. Addressing the press at the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID19 (NOCPC) Dr. Jasinghe said that consecutive decisions taken by the Government and Health Ministry and relentless action by armed forces, Police, and public health inspectors had controlled the spread of the virus. Had it not been for the quick action taken and tight enforcement, the number of patients could have easily increased, he said. “Yesterday we opened the Iranawila facility, with it the specialist hospitals in Beruwala, Homagama and Minuwangoda can cover the high-risk Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam and Kalutara districts,” he explained, pointing out that the coming days will be crucial. According to DIG Ajith Rohana, a person who uploaded a video spreading fake news about COVID-19 patients was arrested and made to appear before a magistrate court. The suspect has been remanded by court. The Police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have arrested nine persons for spreading fake news thus far