Apr 10, Colombo: Sri Lanka Navy intelligence units are assisting the police to find and arrest those who violate self-quarantine rules and send them to quarantine centers, the head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva said at the media briefing today.

The Navy during a naval intelligence operation Thursday (09) in the village of Suduwella, Ja-Ela held 28 persons who were not complying with self-quarantine procedures.

Nilanthambi Prasad Dinesh, a taxi driver of Suduwella, Ja-Ela, who was arrested by the police in connection with an assault incident, found to have contracted COVID-19 and the police had informed 28 people who were in direct contact with the suspect to self-quarantine at their homes.

However, they were found to be roaming in the area violating the self-quarantine regulations. Accordingly, the Police with the support of naval troops arrested them and they were taken to the Navy-managed Quarantine Center (QC) in Oluvil in the Eastern Province.

Meanwhile, 59 persons who violated quarantine rules and health guidelines in Puttalam area and 27 more individuals who had close contact with two COVID-19 patients in Chilaw area were admitted to the Army-run Katukeliyawa Quarantine Centre (QC) last night., Head of NOCPCO said.

Ten relatives from Wellampitiya and Kurunegala areas who had been in close contact with another COVID-19 positive victim were taken to Punani QC last evening (9) while 10 individuals from Akkaraipattu area who have had close contact with a COVID-19 patient were taken to Damminna QC for quarantining,

Four persons from Badulla area who had arrived in Sri Lanka on 8th March from Indonesia after attending a religious assignment were sent to Kahgolla QC for further quarantining last night (9) after completion of their basic 14 -day quarantining process. In addition, 8 more persons from Matale area, suspected to have been in contact with a few COVID-19 patients were taken to Kahagolla QC.

According to Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, as of now, 1455 persons are still in quarantine in 12 island-wide QCs, manned by tri services.