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Navy cluster expected to subside within about two weeks
The navy cluster is subsiding slowly and many thousands of personnel who were recalled from leave and kept under observation are out of the woods now, a high-level health official assured on Thursday.
The Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services, Dr. Paba Palihawadana said that they are hoping that within about two weeks the navy cluster would be controlled.
Dr. Paba Palihawadana
Reassuring that there is no community transmission of COVID-19 in the country, she said that navy personnel who are being confirmed as positive are coming from the quarantine centres.
A comparison of the figures by the Sunday Times of the periods May 20-May 27 (440 cases) and May 28-June 3 (280 cases) indicated a slight drop in the number infected by COVID-19.
She disclosed that all the personnel at the Rangala navy camp have now been tested for COVID-19 and all those at the Welisara camp would be tested in the next couple of days. “Then there may be a rise in the number of infected but that is to be expected,” said Dr. Palihawadana.
When asked whether there was the possibility of a spread of the disease after the mass gathering of people at the funeral of politician Arumugam Thondaman, she said the chances were very low as all the people were locals and currently the infection is in the navy cluster and the returnee cluster, all of whom are either in hospital or quarantine.
Bathiya & Santhush concert
Samples being taken at the airport.
Meanwhile, with much criticism about Sri Lanka’s first drive-in concert, featuring Bathiya & Santhush, on May 30 and June 1 at the Ratmalana airport runway, on being contacted by the Sunday Times, Air Force’s Acting Director (Media), Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe said the attendees were not allowed to leave their vehicles.
Air Force and Police personnel patrolled the venue and there was supervision by Public Health Inspectors (PHIs), he said.
The concert had been organised for the ‘Itukama’ project to raise funds for ‘COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund’ and had been attended by 1,000-1,500 people in around 600 vehicles.
“Many countries have the concept of drive-in theatres, concerts and restaurants and Bathiya and Santhush studied this concept and came forward with a proposal that went to the Defence Ministry,” said Group Captain Wijesinghe, explaining how the temperature of attendees was checked, social distancing measures were enforced, disinfection processes were carried out and consumption of liquor and smoking were not allowed.
| Sample-taking at airport itself; RT-PCR testing lab to be set up Extensive discussions on the testing of all arrivals at the airport were very much a part of a meeting between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and representatives of the health sector including the Health Ministry on Thursday. Long-term plans to establish laboratory facilities for RT-PCR testing at the airport itself were discussed, said Dr. Paba Palihawadana, adding that sample-taking from returnees at the airport was initiated this week. “We have trained staff to take the samples which are being sent to the Medical Research Institute and other designated laboratories for testing, while the returnees are sent into quarantine,” she said, adding that flights are being spaced out to keep the numbers under control at the quarantine centres. Once RT-PCR testing is set up at the airport and the results obtained from the laboratory there, COVID-19 positive patients would be sent directly to hospital and the others into quarantine, it is learnt. President Rajapaksa had suggested that the airport authorities should also discuss with other countries about testing those departing for Sri Lanka from those countries before they boarded the plane, so that their COVID-19 status would be known when they landed here. The Sunday Times understands that since sample-taking at the airport itself was initiated on May 31 afternoon, more than 400 samples have been taken and around 77 have tested positive.
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