CURFEW TO BE IMPOSED IN OTHER HIGH-RISK AREAS IF REQUIRED

A nurse at CNH Neuro ICU found Covid positive COVID-19 cases reported on Tuesday from 16 ‘no curfew’ areas Curfew enforced after reviewing daily cases Shavendra Silva requested to cooporate with security, health officials

Authorities are monitoring the daily updates of COVID-19 cases reported across the country and steps will be taken to impose curfew in areas where a considerable number of positive cases are reported,army Commander Lt.gen. Shavendra Silva said.

Meanwhile, the toll of COVID -19 cases of the Minuwangoda cluster climbed to 1,721 with 130 positive cases being reported yesterday.

Out of the total cases reported yesterday, 118 of them were from quarantine centres while 120 were close contacts of the apparel factory workers. Accordingly, the total confirmed COVID -19 cases stood at 5,168 as of last night with 1,798 active cases.

Meanwhile, a nursing officer attached to the Neurological Intensive Care Unit of the Colombo National Hospital tested positive for COVID -19, hospital sources said.

The nursing officer, a resident of Matugama, had gone on leave four days ago and was admitted to the Kalutara General Hospital in Nagoda after she developed COVID -19 symptoms. She was subsequently subjected to a PCR test and was diagnosed as infected with the virus.

“We are analyzing the cases reported from ‘no-curfew’ areas and curfew would be enforced depending on the situation in the respective areas.

Moreover, he said all the contacts of the COV I D-19 cases reported so far had been identified.

Army Commander also requested people to cooporate with security and health officials in informing the details of the newly-detected COV I D-19 patients.

The quarantine curfew will be in effect from 5.00 am today within the Katunayake police area.

Meanwhile, the statistics of National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPC) indicated that out of the COV I D-19 patients detected on Tuesday, 27 positive cases have been reported from 16 areas where there is no curfew. A total of 194 positive cases were reported from 24 areas on Tuesday, of which 80 persons were detected while undergoing quarantine process and the rest of 114 cases were found from both curfew and no-curfew areas.

Accordingly, the 16 no-curfew areas where COVID-19 patients were detected are Horana, Anuradhapura, Ragama, Ganemulla, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Seeduwa, Kelaniya, Colombo, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa, Negombo, Ratmalana, Nugegoda, Kadawatha and Hatton.

These patients were confirmed to have contracted the virus after PCR tests carried out on them.

Also, 36 cases from Gampaha, 38 cases from Minuwangoda and 34 from Divulapitiya were reported, while 42 were reported from Seeduwa. In addition, 7 cases from Colombo, 4 each from Kirindiwela, Kurunegala and Ganemulla have been reported.