The Sri Lanka Army has allocated another 23 officers’ bungalows at Diyathalawa for quarantine purposes, said Army Commander and Acting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva. Speaking to the Daily News, he said that the Army currently operates 12 quarantine centres and in addition, these bungalows would be utilized as well.
He noted that a group of passengers had arrived from London and there are children among them.
Hence, he said that these children would be quarantined at these holiday bungalows in Diyathalawa. Joining a live broadcast yesterday to update the public on the latest COVID -19 Coronavirus epidemic, the Army Commander said considering the fast swelling numbers of returnees, troops have so far improvised Quarantine Centres in Pompemadu, Punani, Kandakadu, Panichchankerni, 18 Sri Lanka National Guard camp at Meeyankulam, Borawewa, Galkanda, Kahagolla, Army Base Hospital Diyatalawa, Gemunu Watch camp at Diyatalawa and just opened two Quarantine Centres in Damminna and Rantembe to meet needs at this critical hour of our country.
Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva said that his troops are playing a prominent role, together with stakeholders in the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defence, Office of the Western Province Governor, Ministry of Foreign Relations, Sri Lanka Aviation and Airport Authority, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka Police, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Transport Board and other relevant agencies have so far established 12 Quarantine Centres (QCs) across the country.
As at last Sunday (15), a total of 1,723 persons, categorized as singles, males, females, families with children and foreign nationals were being quarantined at those Centres under the close supervision of medical teams, most of which have been coordinated by Colonel (Dr) Shaveen Semage, Deputy Director, Preventive Medicine and Mental Health Services of the Army. Eight foreigners are among those now under quarantine in these Centers.
“Those Quarantine Centres are equipped with hand sanitizer, WiFi facilities, TVs, water boilers, fans, washing machines, towel racks, fridges, newspapers, special cooking arrangements for kids and pregnant women, etc. By yesterday this number had increased to over 1,800,” Military Spokesman Brigadier Chandana Wickramasinghe told the Daily News. According to the Army Commander, meals cooked by Army chefs and cooks are prepared, tested and tasted by Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) and nutritionists of the Army before they are served to the transients in those Centres.
The Rantembe Quarantine Centre and Damminna Quarantine Centre, were operational by Sunday (15) evening accommodating 600 and 125 transients respectively.
To this hour, a total of 11 returnees have been confirmed positive and are confined to IDH and other hospitals.
“We are operating these Quarantine Centers as per instructions of the President who is constantly in touch with us. Anyone feeling that any injustice is meted out to any of those transients,can inform or contact us. We would do our best to address the concerns.
What all of them should understand is that what the Army is doing is a service without jeopardizing the lives of 22 million of our people. Unless Quarantine is done, it could be a threat to the rest of society. All of you quarantined are not all virus-affected patients, nor have you been diagnosed so far to be so,” Lt.Gen. Shavendra Silva was quoted as saying during a TV Talk Show on Sunday.
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