Second Wave? COVID-19 cases from Kandakadu raised up to 447

On the 7th of July the Health Ministry reported a Covid-19 case from Welikada Prison. The coronavirus positive inmate was transferred to the Welikada Prison from the Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre, East in Kandakadu on June 27.

Following the concerns of a another cluster Health ministry conduct PCR test for the inmates who come to direct contact with the inmate in question and found them negative for Covid-19. Nearly 174 inmates out of 250 identified as having come in contact with the COVID-19 patient.

On 10th of July after testing 1,150 staff and inmates at Kandakadu rehabilitation centre Health authorities has confirmed 300 Covid-19 cases with some test results yet to come. It was the highest number of cases reported from the country in a single day.

By the 11th of July, the number of people tested positive related to the Kandakadu rehabilitation centre raised up to 447. A counsellor from Rajanganaya and counsellor from Marawilla were among the positive Covid-19 cases. The counsellor who is from Marawila travel by bus to her home from Kandakadu. And the other counsellor has attended a funeral that had been attended by 150 people.

Authorities not yet being able to identify the patient 0 of the cluster, but the working theory is that rehabilitation centre may have got it from Sri Lankan migrant workers who returned from the Middle East.

The Government Medical Officer’s Association called for aggressive testing by contact tracing all those who had contact with suspect COVID-19 cases and subjecting them to PCR tests and necessary treatment. The GMOA further iterated that even if a test turns negative, testing must continue at regular intervals.

The Kandakadu rehabilitation camp is not run by the Sri Lankan military. Its a facility under Ministry of Justice.