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Coronavirus: Sri Lanka cancels leave of all security personnel

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Press Trust of India Colombo
Last Updated : Apr 26 2020 | 8:05 PM IST

Sri Lanka cancelled the leave of all security forces personnel to contain the spread of coronavirus after 95 sailors tested positive for the killer disease.

All those who are currently on leave must report back to their respective positions with immediate effect, the defense ministry said in an order on Sunday.

Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Lt Gen Shavendra Silva, who heads the coronavirus prevention program, said 95 sailors from the Naval facility at Welisara had been infected.

"Sixty-eight of them had been infected in the camp itself while 27 more had been traced when they had gone on leave," Silva said.

He said the test reports on more Welisara sailors were yet to be received.

Following the cases in the Navy, nearly 4,000 naval personnel and their families were isolated in the camp at the naval base on Saturday.

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The Army facility was kept in isolation after an officer tested COVID-19 positive. The officer's wife is a sailor and was linked to the Welisara camp infection outbreak.

Silva said successful contact-tracing had helped in checking the spread of the disease.

The coronavirus, which originated in China's Wuhan city, has claimed over 2,00,000 lives and infected nearly 3 million people in the world so far. There are 471 confirmed coronavirus cases with seven deaths in Sri Lanka.

High risk areas, including capital district Colombo, are under lockdown till May 4. The curfew in 21 other districts has been relaxed and limited to the night time.

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First Published: Apr 26 2020 | 8:05 PM IST

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