Pregnant nurse infected COVID-19 in National Hospital of Sri Lanka

A pregnant nurse in the National Hospital of Sri Lanka is among the health workers who have been affected by COVID-19 infected while working.  

This nurse has worked in a ward where a patient was diagnosed positive for COVID-19. Authorities decided that her contact with the patient had not necessitated quarantine. However, the nurse stayed at home on her own decision and personal leave. Later, she found that she had symptoms and conducted a PCR test from the field in her residential area. The nurse has been now admitted to Colombo East Base Hospital in Mulleriyawa.

Government Nursing Officers' Association Chairman Saman Rathnapriya said that around 60 health workers including 20 nurses are infected by COVID-19 by now while another 300 are under quarantine. These health workers include doctors, nurses and other categories. 

Hospital sources indicate a lack of facilities such as transport, resting and quarantining for frontline health workers. Saman Rathnapriya requested the government to provide safety for the health staff. He urged the health authorities to take immediate decisions boldly to control the situation. 

He said that the Ministry of Health had not been prepared for a possible outbreak due to lack of vision and leadership.  

Confusion over curfew in Narammala, Giriulla, Pannala and Dummalasuriya police divisions in Kurunegala district

Confusion is reported from some police areas in Kurunegala district due to lack of clarification in the statement of the Army Commander of Sri Lanka Major General Shavendra Silva on quarantine curfew. 

Narammala, Giriulla, Pannala and Dummalasuriya police divisions were under curfew since weeks. 

The Army Commander said in his statement that curfew has been imposed in the entire Western Province,  Eheliyagoda police division in Ratnapura district, Kurunegala Municipal Council area and Kuliyapitiya police division in Kurunegala district.

Police are also confused about the situation while some shops are open in Narammala, Giriulla, Pannala and Dummalasuriya police divisions. 

Meanwhile, unconfirmed sources said that the curfew has been removed from these police divisions but travel restrictions have been informed. 

Presidential Task Force on Prevention of COVID-19 is the sole authority regarding the quarantine curfew and they are expected to clarify the situation.

Investigation on the suicide of mentally handicapped son of COVID-19 mother; PHIs allege no guidelines

Deputy Director-General (Public Health) of Sri Lanka Ministry of Health specialist doctor Samantha Herath said that admitting a COVID-19 affected woman into the hospital without taking necessary precautions regarding her mentally handicapped son was against Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance. 

The 36-year-old son committed suicide after the COVID-19 mother was taken into hospital and he was left alone in the house. The Deputy Director-General (Public Health) stated that the incident would be investigated and necessary actions would be taken to prevent recurrence of such mishaps. 

Meanwhile, the Union of the Public Health Inspectors said that they had not been provided with guidelines regarding the care of the children, elderly people and other dependents of the COVID-19 patients who are admitted into the hospital.  

Chairman of the union Upul Rohana said that the relevant PHI had to admit seven other persons in the area after the relevant woman and he had had no time to look into the needs of this mentally handicapped person. 

The mother of the deceased was admitted into hospital after the neighbours informed she had symptoms of COVID-19 after visiting Peliyagoda fish market. 

However, the PHI of the area H.N.P. Caldera said that he had called to a sibling of the deceased asking him to come and look after the brother. However, the family member lived in the Southern Province while his mother and sibling lived in Kiriwattuduwa in the Western Province. The government imposed curfew since midnight Thursday in Western Province and entry into the province was banned. 

The deceased was identified as Tharinda Amila Vitharana of Haritha Uyana, Koswatta, Kiriwattuduwa. He is believed committed suicide on 30th October 2020.

Sri Lankan politicians perform black magic to defeat coronavirus

Eliyantha White, second from left

Three Sri Lankan Ministers performed a secret ritual to defeat the coronavirus  fast-spreading in Sri Lanka, according to a video going viral on social media. 

Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi was seen throwing a clay pot including unknown thing into River Kaluganga over a bridge in Ratnapura. 

Similarly, Ministers Udaya Gammanpila and Prasanna Ranathunga threw pots into River Kelani respectively from Colombo and Gampaha. 

A person claimed to be Eliyantha White, a doctor or a healer treating Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa threw the other pot into River Madu from Kodduwa area. He is believed the organiser of this unknown ritual. The doctor's qualifications are also similarly unknown although he is named in this video as a royal physician. 

A gossip website close to the government said that the pot contained water with some kind of power invoked to them by the magic doctor

40-year-old man died at Welisara hospital as 21st COVID-19 deceased

Sri Lanka's 21st COVID-19 death occurred today from Welisala Chest Hospital. The deceased is a 40-year male resident of Mahara who suffered from high blood pressure and respiratory issues.

His COVID-19 condition proved in the PCR test conducted posthumously. 

He has been treated in the hospital for eight days after admission on 23rd October 2020. 

Sri Lanka suspends travel between districts

Sri Lanka has decided to suspend travel between districts except for essential services. The decision was announced after a discussion with the Presidential Task Force on the Prevention of COVID-19  

Addressing the participants of the discussion, Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the government's policy of quarantining the COVID-19 suspected persons at home was successful. 

At a discussion held at the President's office today, the President advised to further enhance the programme with the monitoring of Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Inspector, police and Army. 

PCR tests are carried out on the 10th day of the quarantine period and the healthy persons will be sent back to normal life after 14 days. 

The President further advised all persons who had undergone PCR tests either public or private sectors to be placed under quarantine until the report is received.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa advised officials to strictly impose isolation and curfew measures to control the spread of the disease. 

Chief of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival Basil Rajapska said that essential commodities would be distributed as it was done in the previous curfew time. 

The monthly allowance of the elderly persons would be delivered to their homes, Basil Rajapaksa said. 

The curfew in the entire Western Province will be effective until 5 a.m. on November 9th. The same curfew is valid to Eheliyagoda police division in Ratnapura district, Kurunegala Municipal Council area and Kuliyapitiya police division in Kurunegala district. 

Police were ordered not to issue curfew permits during this period. 

Ministers Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Ramesh Pathirana, State Ministers Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Channa Jayasumana and Seetha Arambepola and President's Secretary Lalith Weerathunga also participated in the discussion with the members of the Presidential Task Force on the Prevention of COVID-19.

Curfew in the Western Province of Sri Lanka extended until November 9th

Army Commander of Sri Lanka Major General Shavendra Silva announced at 4 p.m. today that the government had decided to extend curfew in the Western Province after considering the prevailing situation in the Province. 

Accordingly, the curfew in the entire Western Province will be effective until 5 a.m. on November 9th. 

The same curfew is valid to Eheliyagoda police division in Ratnapura district, Kurunegala Municipal Council area and Kuliyapitiya police division in Kurunegala district.  

The government asked people not to engage in panic buying and fleeing from the Western Province before the curfew was imposed Thursday midnight.