Defence Secretary refutes claims schools will be used as quarantine centres for military

The Defence Ministry insists no directive was issued to establish quarantine centres in schools for Tri-Forces personnel to undergo 14-day quarantine process. 

Issuing a statement, Defence Secretary Maj.Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne refuted claims that the military had taken Government schools to set up quarantine centers for military personnel. He stressed no school had been used to quarantine military personnel but they would be used as additional camps for them. 

“After we issued a directive cancelling all leave and short passes for Tri-Forces to return to their respective bases, there was a huge influx of military personnel reporting to their respective camps,” he said. 

The Defence Secretary said the Ministry had directed Tri-Forces Commanders with the approval of the Education Ministry to accommodate them in selected schools as the respective camps and bases were not spacious enough to accommodate soldiers, sailors and airmen hygienically while maintaining social distance, which was mandatory to contain the spread of coronavirus. 

There were 54 military-run quarantine centres supported by the health authorities in the country. The total number of people, who are undergoing quarantine, as of today, is 3, 292 and 4,526 people who had completed final health checks and issued quarantine certificates, had left for their homes from those quarantine centres. 

“Tri-Forces personnel who are suspected to have coronavirus will be sent to quarantine centres. Those who are accommodated in schools are wearing only masks but not protective gears like in those who are quarantine centres,” Maj. Gen. Gunaratne further said.