By: ManjuChandran
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Sri Lanka spiked by 21 to 143 on March 31.
With the cases linked to several Covid-19 clusters, the police have warned that those attempting to roam around and go to hospital without calling ahead may face attempted manslaughter charges and their residences would be sealed.
The newly confirmed coronavirus patients on Monday were clusters linked to persons who were confirmed.
Army chief Shavendra Silva, head of an anti-Covid-19 task force, told a news channel that of the 21 cases, 10 were reported from Puttalam and were linked to a person who had already been identified a couple of days ago.
“We identified 88 persons from his village and quarantined them,” General Silva said. “We requested health authorities to test several of them even though they did not show symptoms.
“We thought they were infected as they had interacted with the infected person.
“So they came and tested 19 persons. Ten persons turned out to be positive, though they did not show any symptoms,” he said.
One person was a tour guide in Dehiwala. One was the wife of a tour guide and another his father-in-law.
Three persons tested positive from the sealed Athaluagama village in Bandaragma.
Other persons confirmed on Tuesday included three were from Kandy who were close relatives of a person in Akurana, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, health minister, said.
A person who tested positive in Beruwala had infected four close relatives.
General Silva stressed that all activities in the village were banned, and depending on their behaviour, a call would be taken whether to lock down the village completely.
Some 43 persons who came in contact with a person who died of Covid-19 at Negombo Hospital had been identified. They are being taken to a quarantine centre in the east, he revealed.
Wanniarachchi has asked people showing any symptoms not to wander about on the roads.
At least three persons had entered hospital outpatients or other departments without realising or revealing that they were suffering from Covid-19 in the past week, leading to the closure of the departments, he said.
“If you have Covid-19 symptoms do not come to hospital,” Wanniarachchi announced in recorded message.
“Call and you will be picked up.”
A 64 year old person who entered Negombo hospital died the same day that he was admitted in intensive care.
“Designated government hospitals are waiting to treat you, with specialised staff,” Wanniarachchi said. “I believe we may have been able to save him if he had admitted himself earlier.”
“If you have symptoms, for the benefit of your loved ones and the country get admitted to a designated hospital. There are 27 hospitals, one in each district.”
The National Health Service in the United Kingdom is all those suspecting they contracted the disease to inform online first or call a hotline and to resist making the trip to a hospital or private doctors
