The quarantining process for those who arrived from high-risk countries
Army Commander Lt. General Shavendra Silva is overseeing the quarantining process of those who have flown in from high-risk South Korea, Iran and Italy, under the direction of the Health Services DG Dr. Anil Jasinghe.
“We have the capacity and experience and are trained to tackle any situation, military or otherwise,” said the Director of Media, Army Headquarters, Brigadier Chandana Wickramasinghe.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Bandaranaike International Airport, Major General (Rtd.) G. A. Chandrasiri said that those who flew in from South Korea, Italy and Iran from March 9-13 were quarantined. As of March 12, 1,482 people have been quarantined.
These passengers did not follow the usual disembarkation process but were brought by buses straight from the planes and sent through the health screening and immigration processes, he said, after which the army took over to transport them to the quarantine centres.
Thereafter, these passengers were transported with security in convoys of buses and a vehicle with their luggage and an ambulance following to the quarantine centres where they will be kept for 14 days, the incubation period. If any passenger was found to be ill at the airport, he/she was taken to a designated hospital, Brigadier Wickramasinghe said, adding that army personnel were taking all precautions to protect themselves.
While the Batticaloa campus in Punani and the Kandakadu centre were the initial quarnatine centres, two more, the Kahagolla bus depot and the Diyatalawa army base hospital (where the Sri Lankans brought from Wuhan, China were kept) are also available, he said.
He added that people at the quarantine centres are comfortable and the dormitories have beds with linen, mosquito nets, clothes’ racks, bathrooms with adequate sinks and showers, laundry facilities and also wifi and a common TV. The army is preparing special meals with soft foods such as potatoes, carrots and beans for small children. The quarantined people are checked for any illness and their temperature taken thrice a day at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and in the night.