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Covid-19: Probability of virus in community at 6%

31 Dec 2020

Health authorities state that the probability of the virus being among the community is now at 6%, it is learnt. “At present, the Western Province is recognised as a hotbed for the virus, especially due to the population density and the increased movement that we saw in the recent months. We wish to remind the public that the Covid-19 virus is very much active and it is only if the public adhere to the health guidelines that we can successfully prevent the spread of the virus,” Health Promotion Bureau Director and Community Medicine Specialist Dr. Palitha Karunapema told The Morning Dr. Karunapema also noted that random PCR testing that was carried out at Galle Face Green among 150 persons had returned results of nine persons testing positive for Covid-19, indicating that the probability of the virus being in the community is now set at a 6% chance.  Adding to that, the second wave of Covid-19 in Sri Lanka has reached all districts of the country amounting to 37,889 persons testing positive for the virus from 3 October to 29 December, which are still linked to the three main clusters; the Minuwangoda, Peliyagoda, prison clusters.  “We urge the public that they restrict their movement and only venture out for essential work, and to keep track of the people they interact with and the places that they visit. Wearing a mask, washing or sanitising hands, maintaining physical distance where required, and practising respiratory etiquette are the basics,” Dr. Karunapema reminded.  Observing the statistics from the Ministry of Health Epidemiology Unit and the Health Promotion Bureau, it is clear that there have been sub-clusters that were generated from these three main clusters that were recorded from the Katunayake apparel factory, Fisheries Harbours in Galle and Beruwala, Sri Lanka Police, Ports Authority, Colombo Municipal Council area, and Atalugama in the Kalutara District.  The Minuwangoda cluster had 2,452 cases reported among the factory workers and their close contacts from 3 to 23 October. In addition to that, 811 of the close contacts of the Minuwangoda cluster that were not referred to a quarantine centre tested positive for the virus by 25 October when PCR tests were conducted, and 77 persons who were in quarantine centres also tested positive for Covid-19 during the same period.  Parallel to the Minuwangoda cluster, several sub-clusters which were reported from other such factories were bunched up together; out of which the Katunayake apparel factory that had 99 cases between 9 and 22 October was a significant cluster that went unnoticed, although there was outcry from the employees who were not given proper instructions by health authorities and had to face a difficult lockdown and quarantine period within their accommodations without much food to ration. Just as the Minuwangoda cluster was subsiding, the Peliyagoda Fish Market cluster was recognised, which reported the first case on 21 October, totalling 2,298 cases of Covid-19  reported from the employees of the fish market and their close contacts. That generated the sub-clusters of the Galle Fisheries Harbour, the Beruwala Fisheries Harbour, and their close contacts who tested positive from 23 to 24 October, amounting to 49 cases.  The Department of Prisons was once again affected by the second wave of Covid-19 when the first case was recorded on 6 November at the Welikada Prison Complex; it had spread to Prisons in Bogambara, Boossa, Kuruvita, Mahara, Dalupotha, and Negombo. From 6 November up until 27 December, a total of 1,471 cases were reported from the said prisons.  Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Police also got caught in the second wave of Covid-19 with Police constables who were deployed on duty to handle the Covid-19-positive patients in the vulnerable areas contracting the virus. From 30 October to 22 December, 455 police officers from various departments and police stations had contacted the virus.  The Colombo Municipal Council area and some of its employees also tested positive for Covid-19, which resulted in 198 testing positive from 2 to 29 November.  The Sri Lanka Ports Authority was also impacted when an employee from the Colombo Harbour tested positive on 4 November, which accounted for 109 cases by 28 November.  Atalugama in the Kalutara District was once again placed under isolation when a person tested positive for Covid-19 on 1 December and within 48 hours a total of 198 residents from Atalugama tested positive for Covid-19 when PCR tests were conducted.  Persons referred to quarantine centres during the second wave of Covid-19 totalled to 466, while persons arriving in Sri Lanka through repatriation flights or for work who tested positive for the virus totalled to 289 from 3 October to 28 December.  

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