Health News

COVID-19 health regulations to be gazetted into laws

Courtesy Adaderana

The Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi says that steps will be taken to gazette the recommendations issued by the Ministry of Health for the control of COVID-19 into a law.

The Minister stated that the new laws regarding health regulations will be published in a gazette notification within the coming two days.

As a result, the courts will be able to impose severe punishments on those who violate the quarantine laws, she added.

I hope to issue a gazette notification within two days, to enable legal action against those who do not comply with the health provisions in the areas declared by the Director-General of Health Services as a virus-affected area.

This gazette will be issued in such a way that those who do not wear masks in those areas, who do not practice the one-meter social distance, or who do not measure body temperature at the entrance to certain premises, can be legally penalized.”

Accordingly, those who violate these health provisions in areas declared as virus-infected areas can be penalized with a maximum fine of Rs 10,000 or 06-month imprisonment or both, she added.

Minuwangoda COVID-19 cluster expands by 61 more cases

Courtesy Adaderana

Sixty one more individuals have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus thus increasing the Minuwangoda cluster, the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, confirmed.

Among them, 39 patients have been identified among those who had been undergoing quarantine at quarantine centers operated by the Sri Lanka Army.

The remaining 22 are close contacts of the employees of the Minuwangoda apparel factory.

Accordingly, a total of 1,247 infections have been reported from the Minuwangoda cluster so far.

Two villages in Mannar declared isolated areas

Courtesy Adaderana

Two villages in Mannar have been declared isolated areas in an attempt to control the COVID-19 pandemic, stated the Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva.

The Pattithottam and Periyakadai areas in Mannar have been isolated in this manner.

Two who visited Dambulla Economic Center test COVID-19 positive

Courtesy Adaderana

Action has been taken to disinfect the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Center last night (10) after it was identified that two people infected with COVID-19 had visited nearly 80 shops at the center.

A businessman in Divulapitiya, who had contacts with Minuwangoda apparel factory employee, and a lorry driver employed under the businessman have been subjected to PCR tests.

And it has been identified that the duo, who had visited the Dambulla Economic Center, has contracted the virus.

The health authorities are currently in the process of carrying out PCR tests of over 100 people at the Dambulla Economic Center who have been identified as associates of the two COVID-19 patients.

Single infected person can transmit virus up to 522 people – Army Chief

Courtesy Adaderana

There have been instances of the Minuwangoda COVID-19 cluster extending to the first and second contacts, according to Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva.

The Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), joining the TV Derana breakfast show ‘Derana Aruna’, said that 26 of the COVID-19 cases reported yesterday (10) were from Minuwangoda, while 23 are from Gampaha and 22 are from Divulapitiya.

In addition, 01 infected person from Panadura, 02 from Colombo, 02 from Polonnaruwa, and 01 from Matale have been also been detected yesterday. At least one person from different parts of the country has been identified so far, he added.

The Army Chief says that the virus can be transmitted to as many as 522 people through a single infected person.

However, it cannot be ascertained yet that the virus has entered the society apart from the cluster, he said.

While it has not yet been possible to identify the origin case of the cluster, the focus is currently on to determine the possible infections through the cluster, the Army Chief said.

As per the investigations carried out so far, it has been revealed that there had been Minuwangoda apparel employees who had reported illnesses to the facility’s sick bay since the September 21.

Student of Kelaniya Uni contracts COVID-19

Courtesy Adaderana

A student of the University of Kelaniya is also reported to have contracted the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

The patient is reportedly a female student studying in the Department of Statistics in the Faculty of Sociology, at the university.

She is a resident of Minuwangoda and reportedly her father is an employee at the Minuwangoda apparel factory.

Media Director of the University of Kelaniya, Senior Lecturer Wijayananda Rupasinghe, stated that two other students who had contacts with the infected student have also been subjected to PCR tests.

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Senior Professor Sudantha Liyanage, says that a final decision will be taken tomorrow (12) regarding the future academic activities of the university, where a person infected with the coronavirus was identified.

No students will be allowed within the university campus until then, he added.

Hela Clothing’s employee tests positive

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Hela Clothing, an apparel manufacturing group, said that an employee at its Thihariya plant tested positive for Covid-19 on October 11.

Issuing a statement it said that the points below outline the series of events that took place and the steps management has taken to ensure the safety of all our colleagues and their families.

On October 3, Hela management immediately requested all individuals having any connection to the current Covid-19 epicenter in Minuwangoda to self-isolate.

An additional doctor and nurse were brought in to Thihariya to monitor staff and advice procedures.

As of today (11), we have one employee who has tested positive for Covid-19, he was and continues to be asymptomatic.

This colleague’s wife is an employee of the Minuwangoda apparel plant and had been at a quarantine center since October 7, as mandated by the government. He last reported to work on 2nd October.

The company has now arranged PCR tests for all colleagues who had contact with this individuals.

As a precautionary measures we have now closed down our Thiharaiya Plant which will remain closed until the result of the PCR tests have been released.

The plant is currently undergoing our standard disinfection protocol in adherence to authorities’ guidelines.

As a company, we will do our utmost to support our affected colleague and those who are impacted. We are rallying together all our resources to ensure that the impact, if any, on our employees and our communities is minmimized, the statement added.

Three doctors among Covid-19 infected patients today

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Three doctors are among the infected Covid-19 cases that were reported today, the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPOC) said.
Accordingly, two doctors are from the Mawanella area and one doctor is from the Kegalle area, who have been identified as the first contacts of Covid-19 patients in the Minuwangoda cluster.
Yesterday, four monks at a temple in Eluwapitiya in the Attangalla area and another person have tested for the virus.