Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Health Minister is declaring that for the past three weeks no COVID 19 positive cases have been reported from the general public and that indicates there is no more community transmission of the virus.

Addressing a media briefing on May 20, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said all the cases have been reported from either Quarantine Centres or the Welisara Navy Camp.

The Sri Lanka Navy cluster of COVID 19 patients has produced 578 infected persons and 221 of them have been discharged from hospital after being cured, Army Commander and head of the COVID 19 Task Force Lt General Shavendra Silva said.

The Director-General of Health Services Dr Anil Jasinghe said that the Health Department had laid down strict guidelines for the Welisara Navy camp to prevent more persons becoming infected.

Some of the Navy personnel from the camp had been moved to quarantine centres and had been detected as infected in the centres, he said.

Jasinghe appealed to the general public to continue to adhere to the guidelines to maintain social distancing and hand hygiene at all times.

He also warned that the danger of dengue fever is rising because of the rainy weather and communities have to be aware of the danger.

“COVID 19 can spread because we have to maintain personal hygiene and practice social distancing but dengue spreads because of communal neglect and bad practice,” he said.

The Army Commander also said several flights carrying Sri Lankan students from Russia and surrounding countries are due to arrive starting today.

No flights came yesterday. (Colombo May 20, 2020)

Reported by Arjuna Ranawana

https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-health-minister-declares-no-more-community-spread-of-covid-19-70204/