No necessity to lockdown Colombo as of now

• Inter-district travel will not be banned • Health Minister says strict health guidelines will resume

Colombo district will not come under a lockdown after a 39-year-old apparel factory worker and her 16-year-old daughter tested positive for COVID -19 yesterday leading to an indefinite curfew being imposed in Minuwangoda and Divulapitiya Police divisions.

Government sources said the Health Ministry and authorities were closely monitoring the situation but did not see the necessity to lockdown Colombo or any other areas as yet.a curfew will also not be imposed in Colombo.

Inter-district travel will also not be banned but the situation was being closely monitored.

However, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said yesterday that strict health guidelines would be re-imposed across the country including Colombo to prevent a possible spread of the virus while the police warned that anyone defying these guidelines will be arrested. Wanniarachchi further advised against any public gatherings until further notice.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID - 19 will meet today once again to review the situation and will impose new regulations if the necessity arises.

By last night, public health inspectors said, over 400 people were already under self quarantine from Minuwangoda and Divulapitiya areas while the army said contact tracing was ongoing to detect further associates of the two patients.

The 39-year-old garment worker was employed at the Brandix Minuwangoda plant and Brandix in a statement earlier yesterday said, all necessary measures to ensure complete containment of the virus had been implemented with immediate effect, including the rigorous disinfection of the affected work site.

40 other workers of the facility who had come into contact with the patient had also been quarantined along with their families and will undergo PCR testing for further measures.

Army Commander, Lt. General Shavendra Silva said investigations were ongoing to find out how the patient contracted the virus and all measures were being taken to track down all her associates.

Silva said the patient had suffered from a fever on Sept.28 after which she visited a dispensary but since the symptoms persisted, she had sought treatment at the Gampaha Hospital after being admitted on Sept. 30.

Upon undergoing a PCR test,she had tested positive for COVID - 19.

Director General of Health Services, Dr. S. Sridharan said anyone suffering from a fever in the Gampaha district were urged to visit their nearest hospital to conduct a PCR test.