By Sarah Hannan
A person living in the Piliyandala area who works as a fish vendor tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday (20). Health authorities confirmed that the patient’s brother had returned from Australia on 14 March and had self-quarantined in the same house the patient was living in. The patient’s brother was asymptomatic, i.e. he had not developed any symptoms, the Piliyandala Medical Officer of Health (MOH) revealed.
“The patient had developed a severe headache with mild respiratory symptoms on 18 April and because his brother was under home quarantine, he had immediately gone to the Kotelawala Defence University Hospital for a check-up where he underwent a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test,” an official at the Piliyandala MOH office confirmed.
Once the results returned for the patient with positive indicators for Covid-19, the patient was required to be admitted to the hospital.
It is revealed that the patient sold fish in the Polgasowita area and had visited the Peliyagoda Fish Market three times before he fell ill. He visited the market to purchase fish even on the day he fell ill. The patient had a curfew pass to conduct business.So far, Public Health Inspectors (PHIs), with the assistance of the Army Intelligence Unit, has traced up to 70 first contacts and directed them to self-quarantine at home. Health authorities will be conducting PCR tests on this community cluster and the brother who is asymptomatic as well.The Peliyagoda Fish Traders’ Association yesterday (21) decided to close down their operations and disinfect the area before opening again.Meanwhile, on the request of the Association, health authorities will conduct PCR tests on all traders at the market today (22).