Five test positive for COVID-19 after country confirms record number of infections

COLOMBO (News1st): Five people tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on Friday, a day after Sri Lanka confirmed the highest toll in a single day of 38 reported, raising the total infections to 373. According to the ministry of health there are 259 active cases at present, with the number of recoveries stood at 107. Seven have died after contracting the virus. Among the 38 infections reported yesterday, 29 were from the Navy camp in Welisara - which was declared as an isolated area while nine were from Bandaranayake Mawatha in Colombo which is under lockdown. The infected navy personnel from the Welisara camp had come into contact with a fellow officer of their living quarters who had tested positive on Wednesday, army chief Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva said. The spike in infections came just two days after the country reported 33 cases on April 20. Health authorities have said that the virus has not reached a community transmission phase yet, but medical officials have pointed out that there could be thousands in the society who do not display symptoms. "The latest finding is that there are people who have been infected with the virus although they do not show any symptoms," Dr. Eranga Narangoda, a physician at the Infectious Diseases Hospital said this week. Health ministry data show that as of Thursday morning, a massive 120 cases had been reported in the Colombo District, a high-risk zone in which curfew is to be lifted on Monday. The Kalutara district had reported 58 infections. [caption id="attachment_493884" align="alignnone" width="517"] COVID-19 patient distribution (Courtesy : https://covid.iq.lk/)[/caption] Medical unions have urged the government to reconsider the decision on relaxing restrictions and to increase testing as part of efforts to combat the virus, as the second wave of infections can be lethal to Sri Lanka. In response, the health ministry said that it had carried out 1000 tests yesterday, for the first time since the outbreak began spreading on March 11.