Over hundred COVID cases reported yesterday; concerns over extent of pandemic's spread

Concerns grew yesterday over the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic's spread in the country after 101 close contacts of workers from the Brandix apparel factory in Minuwangoda tested positive for the disease.

In addition, two more workers from the apparel factory tested positive yesterday. Yesterday's 103 cases brought the total number of cases linked to the Brandix cluster to 1,186.

It was not immediately clear how many of the close contacts were from the Gampaha district and how many were from outside.

Among the newly identified cases yesterday were a student from the Sri Jayewardenepura University, a fisherman from Dikowita harbour, a minor employee at the Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital, three minor staff members of the Colombo National Hospital, five people from Mannar, 11 Katunayake Free Trade Zone garment factory workers, who live in different parts of the Gamapaha districts, and two people from Meda-Mahanuwara.

Confirming that a third year student of the Department of Decision Sciences (DSC) -- coming under the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce -- had tested positive for COVID-19, the university in a statement said:

“We are unaware as to how COVID-19 has been contracted by the student. Investigations are ongoing. There have been two other students with the DSC student in the same boarding and one student ( 3rd year) is from the same Department. One of the students at the boarding house is from the Gampaha District. We are awaiting the results of their PCR tests."

Meanwhile, students at the boarding house and those remaining at the hostel of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce have been placed under quarantine, the university added.

The student is from Panadura. His mother had worked as a nurse at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Panadura Base Hospital. Following the student’s positive diagnosis, the ICU was also temporarily shut down and its staff were placed under quarantine.

The Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) said yesterday that the student had also attended lectures on October 4 and accused the Government of covering up the full extent of the spread of the pandemic in the country. It added that the Government had unnecessarily militarised its response to the disease, further complicating the crisis.

Meanwhile, two wards and an operating theatre of the National Hospital (NHSL) in Colombo faced closure last evening after the hospital's three minor staff members tested positive.

Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera told the Sunday Times that the NHSL employees were sharing a boarding house with the Lady Ridgeway Children's hospital employee who tested positive.

The Sunday Times learns that the NHSL’s orthopaedic and cardiothoracic wards and orthopaedic operating theatre have been closed and the staff and patients are in quarantine.

PCR tests conducted on 27 primary contacts of a COVID positive construction worker who worked at the Mannar Bishop’s House confirmed that five of them were infected with the disease, Additional District Secretary S. Gunapalan said last night. The Bishop’s House was earlier closed down after the construction worker, a resident of Wennappuwa, tested positive for COVID-19.

The Dikovita Fisheries Harbour was also shut down yesterday after it was confirmed that a fisherman who set out to sea from the harbour had tested positive. The other fishermen who had gone to sea with him were also placed under quarantine.

Three garment factories in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone ( FTZ) have also been shut down after 11 more workers from the FTZ tested positive.

Meanwhile, more than 130 Western Province police officers have also been sent into quarantine, it is learnt.