COLOMBO (News 1st):- The President’s Media Division says that the government has made the necessary arrangements in the event of coronavirus threat. This includes inspection of passengers arriving to the country from high-risk countries and the setting up of quarantine locations in different parts of the country. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the Secretary to the President, Dr. P.B. Jayasundara to make preparations for all possible eventualities of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, an Iranian national has been admitted to the Badulla General Hospital on suspicion of contracting the coronavirus. The 36-year-old Iranian national, who arrived in the country on the 5th of this month, is working on the Uma Oya project. A hospital spokeswoman said that his brother was also receiving treatment at a hospital in Iran on suspicion of contracting the virus.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is carrying out follow up examinations on 3200 people, 1679 of them Sri Lankans who have arrived in the island following the Coronavirus outbreak in several countries. Dr Sudath Samaraweera, the Senior Epidemiologist at the Epidemiology Unit, said the Medical Research Institute has tested biological samples of 80 people on suspicion of contracting the virus.

He added that measures have been put in place to quarantine all persons arriving from South Korea and Italy. Additionally, the Ministry of Education has taken steps to quarantine students and teachers arriving from overseas for a period of two weeks as well.

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