North on high alert of 'contact tracing' after Pastor tested positive for COVID-19 following Church prayers

Northern Healthcare authorities are on high alert identifying those who took part in a Missionary Church prayers in Jaffna recently after a Switzerland based Pastor who conducted the prayer tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19) last week and another local who interacted with him confirmed to have been infected with viral endemic yesterday. 

The contractor from Thavadi who interacted with a Switzerland based Pastor was tested positive yesterday at Jaffna Teaching Hospital and was transferred to National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH) for further treatment. Earlier this week, the Pastor, who visited Jaffna recently to conduct prayers at a church tested positive following his return to the country.

So far, over 200 persons from across the North have been identified for either taking part in the prayers or interacted with the Pastor closely during his brief stay in the country. All of them are instructed to undergo a self quarantine process and some are being admitted to military run quarantine centre in the region.

Tri-Forces personnel, Police and local Public Health Inspectors (PHI) today carried out an awareness campaign in Ariyalai and its surrounding areas where the Missionary Church is located. Officials requested the locals to cooperate with the authorities in order to identify those who took part in the prayers.

Police, Tri-Forces personnel and PHI officials today carried out an awareness campaign in Thavadi area, Jaffna where a local contractor was tested positive yesterday. The officials also collected details of those who interacted with the patient. Pix by N.Lohathayalan

By Saturday, two persons who participated in the prayers were admitted to a special ward setupped at Jaffna Teaching Hospital with symptoms for Coronavirus with awaiting test results for further confirmation.

The Switzerland based senior Pastor of Philadelphia Missionary Church  conducted prayers at its one of the Missionary branches at Chemmani, Jaffna on last Sunday (15) where over two hundred devotees took part. In addition to the prayers, he also participated in other engagements such as laying the foundation stone for a Montessori school with a limited audience.

According to an official attached to the Church, Pastor who is a native from Jaffna arrived into the country on March 13 while suffering from severe fever, just two days before the scheduled event in Jaffna. On March 15, the government imposed a travel ban on passengers from European countries including Switzerland.  The Pastor, who is also a cancer patient was hospitalized with Coronavirus symptoms shortly after his return home following his engagements in Sri Lanka.

 Soon after the news of Pastor tested positive for Coronavirus reached home, local Medical Officer of Health (MOH), Public Health Inspector (PHI) personnel with the coordination of Tri- Forces and police commenced the process of identifying persons and families who participated in the prayers last Friday. Local PHIs were alerted when the news of calling to pray for the Pastor were being shared among local Church goers.

As of now, six families from Nallur area and three other families from Jaffna Municipality area who took part in the prayers have been instructed to undergo self quarantine immediately. The contact tracing process of others who interacted with the Pastor are currently underway with the assistance of Police and Healthcare authorities.

Jaffna District Secretary Kanapathipillai Mahesan told The Sunday Times that all healthcare staff in the region have been mobilized to do the ‘contact tracing’ of those who took part in the prayers and had engagements with the Pastor immediately with the assistance of Tri forces and Police.

“We have been able to track a local Pastor from Manipay who coordinated the prayers to obtain further information of the devotees who took part. With him being under self quarantine, we have also been able to track some families and instructed them to undergo quarantine processes while monitoring their health conditions carefully. We are closely monitoring the situation,” District Secretary Mahesan said while stressing the need for people to cooperate with authorities in this regard. 

Regional Directorate of Health Services Jaffna also issued a public notice yesterday saying that those who took part in the prayers and had engagements with the Pastor should come forward and register with the office by dialling 0212227278.

As the Northern province is currently under curfew, it will be lifted at 6.00am tomorrow (24) and will be reimposed at 12.00pm the same day. It will continue till 6.00am on Friday (27).  All travel between districts has been prohibited.