Tests reveal more COVID-19 patients linked to Peliyagoda cluster

COLOMBO (News1st): Several COVID-19 patients linked to the cluster that emerged at the Peliyagoda fish market tested positive for the virus on Monday. A vendor in Bakamuna, Polonnaruwa who had visited the Peliyagoda Fish Market to purchase prawns has tested positive for the virus. Accordingly, the Bakamuna Town was disinfected on Monday. Two COVID-19 cases were detected from Hambantota as well. One of them is a close contact of a patient linked to the Peliyagoda cluster. Our correspondent reported that the Hambantota Fisheries Harbour and the Hambantota Fish Market were closed down due to this reason. The Kotagala Town in Hatton was disinfected today after two COVID-19 cases were identified in the area. Both patients are close contacts of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster. Several stores in the Ambanpola Town were closed down today after two people who visited the Peliyagoda fish market had tested positive for the virus. Two fishmongers from Galewela in Matale had also tested positive for COVID-19. They are considered to be linked to the Peliyagoda cluster. Meanwhile, an individual who had undergone a PCR test at the Peliyagoda Fish Market had left for Anuradhapura on a bus before receiving the results. He was hospitalized after his tests turned out positive. Officials said the patient had travelled up to the Pothanegama area in Anuradhapura on a bus plying from Colombo to Vavuniya. PCR tests carried out in Wellampitiya revealed that 25 people had been infected by COVID-19. They were immediately directed to quarantine today. Several villages in Kegalle including Thalduwa and Upper-Thalduwa were isolated after 09 people who visited these areas had been infected by the virus.