Coronavirus: Lanka asks returnees from China to report to health authorities

Travellers who recently returned from Chennai in India have posed a high-risk in Sri Lanka's efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, the country's health authorities said on Saturday, ordering them to immediately report to public health officers. Director General of Health Services Anil Jasinghe said two of the COVID-19 positive cases reported on Saturday were those who recently returned from the Tamil Nadu capital.

He issued directions that anyone who returned from Chennai during the last 14 days must inform the public health officers of their area and must go into self-quarantine for 14 days. “Returnees from Chennai are high risk cases, they must immediately report to health authorities," Jasinghe said.

He said that in view of increase in the number of coronavirus cases in Chennai it is very important for the returnees to undergo quarantine. The number of positive cases in Sri Lanka has risen to 110 and the government has ordered police to strictly impose curfew to ensure social distancing across the country.

Sri Lanka police said that they have arrested thousands, including many who were praying in a mosque, for violating a countrywide curfew. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Army which is in charge of the quarantine process said that over 1,400 persons have left the quarantine centres during the last two weeks.

The Central Bank today announced that a 50 billion rupees six months stimulus is being made available to businesses including self employment..