Colombo (News 1st); The number of COVID-19 cases in the Minuwangoda Brandix cluster increased to 1053 on Thursday (08), following the detection of 19 patients during the day.

On Thursday (08) a total of 29 COVID-19 cases were reported in Sri Lanka and the Department of Government Information said among them is 01 employee from Brandix, 18 contacts of Brandix workers, 07 returnees from the United Arab Emirates, 01 returnees from Kuwait, and 02 Iranians.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka stands at 4488 as of 08:00 AM on Friday (09).

Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, the Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID 19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army said all Minuwangoda Brandix employees were subject to PCR tests.

The PCR tests on around another 100 people linked to the Minuwangoda premises are to be carried out, and those tests will be carried out on Saturday, he said.

The Army Commander urged those linked to the Minuwangoda cluster to refrain from making visits to various locations as the viral load in the present cluster is higher than of those recorded earlier in Sri Lanka.

“There is a high possibility of the corona-virus spreading among people, as present cases have a high viral-load in them,” stressed the Army Commander and he requested anyone linked to the cluster to refrain from making contact with other people.

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