PARLIAMENT TRACING HAKEEM'S CLOSE CONTACTS

Colombo (News 1st);  Authorities are tracing the parliamentary contacts of COVID-19 infected MP Rauff Hakeem, said the Sri Lankan Parliament on Sunday (10). Sergeant-at-Arms Narendra Fernando confirmed MP Hakeem had visited the Parliament on two separate says last week. MP Hakeem had entered Parliament on the 05th of January and had reached the Parliamentary gates on a later date and turned back, confirmed Fernando. Accordingly CCTV cameras will be used to track the movements of MP Hakeem and identify the MPs, Ministers as well as Parliamentary staff who were in close contact with him. Further, CCTV footage will be used to observe if the opposition MPs seated close to MP Hakeem in the Parliament Chamber had followed the necessary health precautions. According to our Parliamentary correspondent, the closest seats to MP Hakeem were reserved for Samagi Jana Balavegaya MPs Lakshman Kiriella and Gayantha Karunathilake. Rauff Hakeem is the second MP to test positive to COVID-19 after State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Jayasekera is treated at a facility in Hikkaduwa while Hakeem is treated at a quarantine facility. On the 08th of January, MPs Harin Fernando subjected himself to a PCR test as he closely associated State Minister Jayasekera and he tested negative for the coronavirus.