Police Sergeant interdicted over spread of COVID-19 at Kegalle SP office

A Police Sergeant who allegedly withheld information and acted in a manner that resulted in other police officers and civil staff at the Kegalle Superintendent of Police (SP) Office being infected with COVID-19 has been interdicted.

The interdicted sergeant is attached to the Kegalle Police. The officer's son is an employee of a private company and had been subjected to a PCR test on December 30, 2020. The Sergeant has been interdicted on the grounds that he had reported to work from December 30, 2020 to January 2, 2021 without informing the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) that his son, of whom he was a close contact, had undergone a PCR test.

The Sergeant was subjected to a PCR test on January 2 after his son tested positive for the virus and he too was found to be infected with COVID-19. The Sergeant's wife and brother too tested positive for COVID-19 in subsequent PCR tests. All are currently being treated at Government-run treatment centres.

As of now, 15 police officers, including a senior officer, together with civil staff members attached to the Kegalle SP's office have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in PCR tests conducted after the Sergeant tested positive.

By Pradeep Kumara Dharmaratne