66 Indian nationals tested COVID-19 positive in Sri Lanka

Sixty-six Indian nationals, all workers at a construction site in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, have tested positive for COVID-19, a top health official said on Friday. The capital city has recorded multiple coronavirus cases since early October when the island was hit by two large clusters of infections.

Sixty-six Indian nationals, all workers at a construction site in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, have tested positive for COVID-19, a top health official said on Friday. "They have been lodged in the north Colombo area where they were identified as the first level contacts of the positive cases from the fish market cluster," Colombo city's chief medical officer Dr Ruwan Wijemuni told PTI. Wijemuni said the construction site workers, all Indians, "were found coronavirus positive from random tests conducted -- the first batch of 19 was followed by another 47". All of them are being treated at the interim treatment centre at Dharga Town, he said.

The National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID said the fish market cluster has emerged as the biggest source of the deadly viral infection in Lanka. By Friday morning, the cluster has recorded a total of 9,120 positive cases out of the nationwide tally of 15,722.Lanka has so far recorded 48 coronavirus-related deaths. When the island experienced its second wave on October 4 there was only 3,396 cases with just 13 deaths. The infected figure has jumped four times since then. The Western province, which is also the capital province, is the current area with highest infections. The province after a 10 day lockdown was re-opened early this week. However, travel restrictions continued in the province. The capital city has recorded multiple coronavirus cases since early October when the island was hit by two large clusters of infections.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)