May 03, Colombo: The government has decided to convert closed garment factories to Covid treatment centers as the hospitals and treatments centers in the country are running out of capacity due to the third Covid wave.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said a decision was taken at a discussion chaired by the Minister at the Gampaha District Secretariat on future steps to control the Covid situation to build a 2000-bed Covid treatment center in the Werellawatta area in Gampaha to deal with the existing Covid risk.

Accordingly, the work commenced today (03) to convert the Polytex Garments factory, which was closed down, in Werellawatta in Gampaha into a Coronavirus Disease Treatment Center at a cost of Rs. 10 million.

Following a request made by the Governor of the Western Provincial Council Roshan Goonetilleke, the Western Provincial Council has agreed to provide Rs. 10 million for the construction work.

With the assistance of the Navy, work has been expedited to transform the factory into a treatment center and a team of 70 navy personnel is already providing their services.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa has also agreed to provide the labor of the representatives of the youth organizations to further expedite the activities of this treatment center which is being built with the capacity to treat a large number of patients at once.

In addition, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has agreed to set up two more centers in Katunayake and Mirigama and to hand over the currently closed factories to Covid treatment centers.