All Efforts Made to Identify the Source of Her Contracting the Virus - Head of NOCPCO

"All necessary preventive measures have been put in place soon after a 39 -year old apparel industry female worker who was admitted with fever symptoms was confirmed positive to COVID-19 infection, following PCR tests done at Gampaha District Hospital last evening (3). She was immediately transferred to the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) and 45 of her associates including family members in Minuwangoda and Gampaha areas have now been kept in quarantine and Quarantine curfew has been imposed in Minuwangoda and Divulapitiya Police areas in order to arrest further transmission or contracting of the virus in public places," so said Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Head of National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army during a special Media briefing, convened this morning (4) at the NOCPCO in Rajagiriya.

Hon Minister of Health Ms Pavitha Wanniarachchi, Secretary to Ministry of Health, Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Head, NOCPCO and Chief Epidemiologist of the Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera co-chaired the head table.

"It is absolutely necessary that we, having so far managed with this risk of transmission effectively, take all possible health precautions and other preventive measures, aimed at restricting the movement of the public, vulnerable to such exposure in consultation with relative Public Health Inspectors, health authorities and medical experts," he added. “We appeal the general public to behave sticking to health guidelines as advised and continue with their health practices as necessary and support the mechanism in place".

"Similarly, workmates of the garment factory where the victim, a factory supervisor as well as those who travel with her in the factory transport were also made to undergo self-quarantine at their homes. All others are now being dispatched to Army-run Quarantine Centres. Ministry of Health would also conduct PCR tests on all those associated with the victim. Until we find the source of her contracting the virus, restrictions of movement have been placed on those areas on HE the President's instructions and we appeal the public to desist from visiting those areas until further notice," he said. “We are doing everything possible to identify the source of this point of contracting immediately”.

"Some people are critical of our repatriation of expatriates in groups to Sri Lanka. But we would not be able to manage if all of them arrive as a bulk. That is where we need to accept them in batches, we appeal the public to wear health masks and adhere to health guidelines as some appear to be neglecting those precautions." he pointed out.

Hon Minister and others at the head table too contributed to the Media briefing.

Source: www.army.lk