Sri Lanka to impose lockdown in Colombo, Gampaha amid COVID-19 cluster outbreaks

On November 14, Sri Lanka announced that it will impose the lockdown to stem the rapid transmission of the novel coronavirus across the country. According to sources of ANI, the lockdown will be effective at 5 am tomorrow [November 16], in the districts of Colombo and Gampaha.

As many as 25 high-risk areas for COVID-19 will go under clampdown, in a stay at home orders that will restrict all non-essential movement. Earlier, the Sri Lankan government had eased restrictions in Horana and Ingiriya in the Kalutara District, Maranello, and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle District, and the town of Kuliyapitiya and the Kurunegala in the Kurunegala district, which will reenter the lockdown. 

The country’s decision to impose the indefinite curfew comes with an onslaught of coronavirus cases and reports of outbreaks across several provincial towns. Restrictions were imposed earlier in Divulapitiya and Minwangoda towns after a COVID-19 positive case was registered that led to an outbreak, Army Commander, and COVID-19 prevention task force charge Shavendra Silva had informed sources of PTI.

A cluster outbreak was reported after a woman, the COVID-19 patient had come in contact with at least 50 factory workers at her workplace, who were asked by the government to quarantine. Meanwhile, over the last month, the island nation recorded a surge in imported caseload as many foreign returnees entered via the airport as international air travel resumed.  

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66 Indian nationals positive

On November 13, at least 66 Indian nationals turned a positive diagnosis to the infection in Sri Lanka, the National Operations Centre for Prevention of Covid informed PTI. Those who contracted the coronavirus were employed at a construction site in Sri Lanka’s capital.

“They have been lodged in the north Colombo area where they were identified as the first level contacts of the positive cases from the fish market cluster,” Colombo city’s chief medical officer Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni told PTI.

“All workers were found coronavirus positive from random tests conducted -- the first batch of 19 was followed by another 47,” he further informed. A total of 9,120 positive cases were recorded as of November 13 from the cluster which spiked the nation’s total tally to 15,722. The country has recorded 48 coronavirus-related fatalities so far. 

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