All factories in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone (FTZ) are currently in operation, despite random PCR testing resulting in a sharp increase in the number of workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 recently. In addition, workers from this factory who tested positive on Monday (May 10), have still to be taken to quarantine centres. PHIs have informed them to take precautions and stay inside the boarding premises. However, they haven’t told them anything about transporting them to a quarantine centre. One worker who tested positive on May 10th is currently self-quarantining at her hostel, where nine other workers also reside. However, PHIs haven’t put a notice outside their hostel to indicate that it’s a place of self-quarantine. Workers from other factories such as United Tobacco Processing (UTP) (Pvt) Ltd. and Hirdaramani Garments Katunayake (Pvt) Ltd, who are also residing at this hostel, have been told not to come into work. As there is no quarantine notice outside their gate, workers fear that their leave will be accounted for. All nine workers share one toilet, with the worker who’s positive using it first at 5am, followed by the rest, but, as they don’t have access to proper sanitization products, there is a high risk of the virus spreading. A large number of workers have tested positive at the Smart Shirts (Lanka) Ltd., ATG Gloves Knitting (Pvt) Ltd, Star Garments (Pvt) Ltd., NEXT, Crystal Martin Garments, Screenline Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., Sky Sport Lanka Pvt. Ltd., Ezzy Sails Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Elsteel and Brandix factories. The MAS Active Linea Intimo too is badly affected, with 300 workers having tested positive for COVID-19. However, the factory is still in opeartion. Some factories such as Screenline Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. don’t follow some of the basic health and safety guidelines, so workers are fearful for their safety. Whilst all workers are masked and must wash their hands, 15-20 workers must work in very close proximity to one another, as they are working at one machine. The machine is only sanitised once every 2-3 days. Currently, workers who test positive are subject to mandatory quarantine at their respective hostels. As workers who work at different factories live in shared accommodation, with manpower and daily wage workers, daily wage workers are finding it particularly difficult to make ends meet. Further, as the Government has not implemented welfare provisions for such workers this time around, they are particularly vulnerable.