By Thursday the confirmed Covid-19 cases stood at 238 while 167 active cases are currently under medical care at Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Welikanda Base Hospital, Colombo East Base Hospital and Iranawila Hospital.
The number of coronavirus recoveries stood at 63 by yesterday as two patients were discharged from hospital after recovering completely. Sri Lanka has confirmed 7 fatalities due to COVID-19 so far.
The National Operation Centre for the Prevention of Covid-19 has been in the forefront of the action taken to curb the spread of the virus in the country. In an interview with the Daily News Army Commander and Head of the National Operation Centre for the Prevention of Covid-19 Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva said by last week there were 1311 persons being quarantined in 12 quarantine centres. Out of that one quarantine centre is being run by the Navy and the other 11 by the Army. He said 1496 had completed their quarantine and left the centres already as of last week. Initially, the military had operated over 40 quarantine centres to accommodate those returning from overseas.
Following are excerpts of the interview;
Q. Currently, there are many Army personnel overseas who had gone to follow various courses but are stranded in those countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Do you plan to bring them back?
A. As of now, there are over 400 Army personnel who are following courses overseas. In India itself, we have around 205. However, we are not able to get them down now because as a country we have taken a decision not to allow any incoming passengers. Therefore, we have to abide by the rules that have been enforced. Hence, I have told our advisors to talk to those countries and ensure that their security is provided and they are safe. At this point that all we can do.
Q. In the operation to curb the spread of the Coronavirus in the country, it is the military personnel who are on the frontlines when receiving suspected cases and taking them to quarantine centres etc. What measures have you taken to ensure their safety?
A. The military personnel who operate at the quarantine centres are mainly from the Army Medical Corps and some infantry troops. They were trained on their job and whatever protection that has to be taken according to the specialist’s standards we have taken. We have not tried to overdo things though. We see in some private hospitals they are wearing the whole personal protection kit even when receiving patients. So we don’t want to overdo things to that level. Treating confirmed cases inside hospitals is a different story.
So in the case of those coming to the country from overseas, they have not confirmed Corona positive cases, but they are simply sent to quarantine centres as a precautionary measure. So, there are certain precautionary measures that need to be taken and we have ensured that our personnel are provided with these basic protective gear. We have taken all the precautions and that is why so far we have only one person who contracted the virus because the people who came from overseas started protesting and they were trying to go out without going to the quarantine centres and our military personnel had to get involved in controlling the situation. In addition to the military personnel deployed, others also had to suddenly be deployed to handle the situation even without proper protective gear. It was in that incident that one military officer got infected. Other than that we have been able to keep our troops safe and this is our success. Although we had 33 cases from these quarantine centres, not a single of our personnel got infected.
Q. The country at some point has to progress from the total lockdown (curfew) to a partial lockdown in order to ensure economic activity continues and the country is not economically affected too badly. The Health authorities are hopeful that things would improve after around the 16th of April. What is your view?
A. Although some are hopeful, now we have had cases being reported from the society, for instance, recently cases were reported from Ratnapura and Ja-Ela. From that time, whoever associated with these persons could have contracted the virus and the symptoms will show only after 14 to 21 days. We are not sure unless we do the testing. According to doctors, you need to do the testing between the 10 to the 14th day. Only then can you determine for sure. On the first day even if you do a PCR test it will not show. So, these are very critical things that one must understand and do. Anyway, the complete lockdown (as you put it) cannot continue and one day we will have to lift these regulations even partially. We will have to start opening up and we can start especially from areas that are not so badly affected and we have been able to control well.
Q. So have you discussed this eventuality and planned how to gradually move from a total lockdown to a partial lockdown?
A. Yes, we have already discussed and planned how we are gradually going to lift the restrictions. Everything has been discussed and is running according to a plan. From January 26th when the Presidential Task Force was set up by the President, we have worked according to a plan. That is why we have been successful all this time.
If we look at the figures, the first week we had 43 cases and by the second week we had 102 that was a 137% increase. Then by the third week we had 143, which was a 40% increase. By the end of the fourth week, we had around 185 which is around 29% increase.
In Italy by the end of the fourth week 292%, Spain was 1117%, USA was 537%, UK was 445%, Germany was 475% and even South Korea was 124%. So in comparison with these countries, it is clear that Sri Lanka has done really well with all these precautions that we took.
Initially, the Corona cases were from those who came from abroad. Thereafter the first tour guide tested positive and then we began to see others getting infected from the society. Then we put them under self-quarantine at their houses. But now, our intelligence units are capable of finding the first-tier group that associated with an infected person within a mere three hours. Thereafter, we find the second circle of persons who associated with them and then the third circle. So when the first tour guide was found our intelligence services found 64 persons he had contacts with. Then we contacted them and asked them to get tested. The third tier people were not even aware that they had come in contact with a Coronavirus patient.
But now when we detect a positive case we take those who associated with that person to a quarantine centre instead of leaving them to self quarantine because we found that in most instances there is limited space and many live together. This was first noticed in Puttalam. There were around 60 of them whom we took to a quarantine centre. There we detected over 16 of them tested positive. So imagine, if they were left in that village how much the virus would have spread. Atalugama and Akurana was the same. Now whoever is taken to the quarantine centres we do the PCR test between the 10th and 14th day and only if they test negative that we send them back home.
Q. You are a military leader, but what you are dealing now is a health crisis. How do you handle the situation so effectively?
A. First I owe it to the President as he is the one who directs us. To some extent as we are both from a military background out way of thinking is rather similar. Just like during the war when he was the Defence Secretary, when we utter the first two words he knows what we are about to say. Even now the President comes out with a lot of initiatives and it is very easy for us to work with him. Although it is not often seen, the President is monitoring the situation every hour. He is a huge strength to us. Similarly, the Prime Minister too is very supportive and as the Finance Minister he grants us the fullest support to carry out our duties and thus accomplishing our tasks is very easy. It is the same with the Defence Secretary. We have worked together during the war and we have a very good understanding. The Health Minister is also a team player and she is very understanding and it is very easy to work together. The Health Services Director General and also all the ,members of the task force and Gen. Daya Ratnayake, Admiral J Kolambage, Dr. Seetha Arambepola and even the members of the GMOA are all very accommodative and they give us the fullest support which is how we have managed to succeed.
The Police have also rendered huge support and the Intelligence service also played a very pivotal role. So we basically have a very capable and understanding group of professionals and working with this capable group, we are sure to achieve success.
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