180 navy personnel are among positive cases affected by COVID including 44 confirmed in Sri Lanka today

In Sri Lanka, 180 navy personnel are among the positive cases affected by COVID including 44 who were confirmed today.

Army Commander Shavendra Silva said among the navy personnel affected, 112 are from Welisara camp and 68 are from those on leave. There are 434 active cases while seven have died and 126 recovered out of 567 infections so far.

The number of infections have doubled over past week with maximum number of 63 cases reported yesterday. Meanwhile, seven opposition parties in a joint statement today urged the President to reconvene Parliament assuring responsible cooperation in order to face the COVID challenge effectively.

The statement said the country is faced with an unprecedented national crisis which shows no signs of an early ending. It said as members of the dissolved Parliament, they are duty bound to fulfill their obligations to resolve the crisis in a spirit of responsible cooperation and called upon all political parties across the political divide of transcending partisan agendas and working together for the common good.

It may be mentioned that Sri Lankan parliament was dissolved on March 2nd and elections were announced for April 25th. However, the COVID outbreak led to postponement of elections, which is scheduled to be held on 20th June now.

Nearly 4,000 Sri Lankan Navy personnel quarantined after 60 tested positive for COVID-19: Report
Nearly 4,000 Sri Lankan Navy personnel and their families have been quarantined at a major naval facility after 60 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in two days, a media report said on Saturday. The move came as 30 Navy personnel tested positive for the COVID-19 virus each on Friday and Saturday at the country’s Welisara Naval camp, the state-run Daily News reported.

“Today 30 Navy personnel have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Another 30 had tested positive for the virus yesterday,” Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva was quoted as saying by the paper during his media briefing of the National Operation Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 here.

Following the new cases, nearly 4,000 naval personnel and their families at the naval base have been isolated within the camp, the paper reported, citing an order issued by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The spurt in new cases came amidst Sri Lanka deciding to lift the nationwide curfew imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus on Monday.