2696 people continue to remain in quarantine facilities

Colombo (News 1st); Acting Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva said 2696 people continue to remain in quarantine facilities across the island. He said yesterday 1108 people from Bandaranaike Mawatha in Colombo 12 were taken away for quarantine at facilities in the north of the country, as a result of the high number of COVID-19 cases reported from the area. The Army Commander said a large number of people were subject to PCR tests in the island, including those in quarantine facilities. In addition, the family and associates of the COVID-19 patient detected from Piliyandala were moved to the quarantine facility in Welisara. The Army Commander said 4348 people left the facilities following completion of the mandatory quarantine period. He went on to note, the 106 Sri Lankans trapped in Pakistan returned to the island yesterday and a majority of them are three armed forces personnel who completed their programs in Pakistan over a month ago. The Army Commander said the Military Personnel were stranded in Pakistan for over a month following the Sri Lankan Government's decision to close the airport for inbound air travel. He said the group was in quarantine in Pakistan, however, as a precaution, they were moved to quarantine upon arrival. The 23 students who arrived on the same flight, were moved to the Punani Quarantine Facility. The Army Commander said there is a possibility of large numbers coming into Sri Lanka in the near future and it would be done by analyzing the situation.