COA halts final rites of COVID-19 victim

COLOMBO (News1st): The Court of Appeal today ordered the Director of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital and its Judicial Medical Officer to suspend the last rites of the body of a 26 - year - old man attached to the Kotelawala Defense College. The deceased has been identified as a Covid-19 patient following his sudden death. The order was given by the Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal Arjuna Obeysekera and Mayadunne Correa considering an appeal after a resident of Trincomalee stated that a PCR test conducted by the Kotelawala Defense College after the sudden death of his son, who was in good health, revealed that he was infected with COVID19. The individual had filed a petition seeking a another PCR test as he had strong suspicions about the report. The bench also ordered that a notice be issued to the Director of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital and the Medical Officer of the Court to appear in court tomorrow to comment on the death. President's Counsel Faizer Mustafa appeared in court today on behalf of the petitioner.