196 people at the Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre in Kandakadu test positive for COVID-19

COLOMBO (News 1st): Another 196 people at the Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre in Kandakadu have tested positive for COVID-19, the Government Information Department said on Friday (July 10). Issuing a statement, the Government Information Department noted that results of 338 PCR tests conducted on the inmates and staff at the Rehab Centre were released this morning. On Thursday (July 9), Director General of Health Services, Dr. Anil Jasinghe confirmed that 56 inmates and a counsellor at the Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre in Kandakadu tested positive for COVID-19. "Thereby, in total 252 people at Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre in Kandakadu have tested positive for COVID-19 so far,"  the Government Information Department said. According to Dr. Anil Jasinghe, the Director General of Health Services, "There seems to be a trend of more COVID-19 cases being confirmed from the Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre in Kandakadu." Sri Lanka Police said on Friday (July 10) that following contact tracing, 42 of close contacts of the counsillor were directed into self-quarantine. "Information is currently being gathered on the buses the counsillor from the Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre in Kandakadu who tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, travelled prior to being confirmed of having the contracted the virus," the Epidemiology Unit at the Ministry of Health noted on Friday. The counsillor had travelled from Kandakadu to Koswatte in Chilaw, via public transport. The statement further notes that measures are underway to prevent any form of community spread of COVID-19 from the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre.