Five more COVID-19 deaths

Five more COVID-19 deaths were reported yesterday bringing the number of total deaths to 204. They are residents of Dharga Town, Homagama, Colombo 05, Galewela and Pelmadulla. They were aged 72, 59, 61, 49 and 75.

Several state institutions were temporarily closed yesterday due to COVID-19. The head office and the Muthurajawela Terminal of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation was closed yesterday.

The CPC said that an employee of the Muthurajawela Terminal who had undergone a PCR test had arrived at the head office before receiving the test report. He had gone into a number of departments during his visit to the HQ. Yesterday, his PCR test came positive.

Six policemen attached to Gelanigama Police point at the Southern Expressway also tested positive for COVID-19. This was revealed after 14 policemen at the point were subjected to Rapid Antigen Tests yesterday. 50 policemen attached to the police point have been asked to undergo self-quarantine.

Ward No 12 of Matale Hospital too was temporarily closed down yesterday after a patients and a cleaner of the ward were found COVID-19 positive.

About 421 COVID-19 cases had been identified by 6 pm yesterday. With them the total number of COVID-19 cases reached 43,123.