Hotbeds of coronavirus found outside WP, says Kumudesh

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The detection of 106 COVID-19 cases through random PCR testing along the Hatton-Colombo road had again proved that the Western Province was not the only hotbed of COVID-19, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island yesterday.

PHI Ambagamuwa, K. Kamadewan said that those cases had been detected at the Kalugala Road Block on the Hatton-Colombo road. He said that the previous month they had conducted 1,825 random tests at the road block. Those identified as COVID-19 patients had been sent for treatment and their associates quarantined.

Kamadewan said: “Most of those who tested positive were residents of Ambagamuwa, Maskeliya, Kotagala and Nawalapitiya.”

Commenting on these detections and the residence of the patients, Kumudesh said that over 11,000 random tests had been done during the past few weeks on those who were leaving the Western Province. Around 100 cases had been detected, he said.

“We can’t deny the possibility that some COVID-19 cases from the Western Province have left without being detected. We have also found that a significant number of people here show no symptoms.”