The Government has already taken all steps to prevent Kandakadu COVID-19 cluster from spreading into the society, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said yesterday.
Minister Wanniarachchi said that 252 COVID-19 patients had been reported from the Kandakadu cluster but it is not a challenge for the health staff and Armed Forces who rescued the country from COVID-19 by completely removing the virus from the society.
Minister Wanniarachchi pointed out that the number of COVID-19 patients reported from the society is significantly low here when compared with other countries in the world.
Minister Wanniarachchi stressed that the COVID-19 patients reported from the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre can be high but the authorities will not let the virus enter society again.
Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe said the overall situation of the Kandakadu Drug Rehabilitation Centre COVID-19 cluster can be estimated and declared by today (11).
According to Dr. Jasinghe, the risk of spreading COVID-19 in the country through this latest Kandakadu cluster is low but steps will be taken to control it immediately to manage any such situation.
PCR Tests are now being conducted for inmates, workers, workers who went on leave and 50 inmates who were sent home after completing rehabilitation.
Dr. Jasinghe pointed out that the Government and Health authorities have noticed that people and institutions are not paying much attention towards essential health guidelines issued by the Government to prevent and control COVID-19. This can be noticed especially places where people gather and the risk is very high.
“All people and all state and private institutions should very strictly follow all essential health guidelines issued to them by the Government and the Health Ministry. They are; wearing a mask covering their nose and mouth whenever in public, keeping at least a one meter distance from another individual at all times, washing hands with soap and water for 30 seconds often and using a sanitizer to clean hands whenever soap and water is not available,” Dr. Jasinghe said.
“Although Sri Lanka controlled COVID-19 successfully with the assistance of the health staff and the Armed Forces etc. under the direction of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the risk is still there because the virus is prevalent all over the world and normal activities have resumed in Sri Lanka,” he added.
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