COLOMBO, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday imposed a curfew in some areas of capital Colombo as the number of COVID-19 patients surpassed the 6,000-mark following the detection of a new cluster in Minuwangoda, in the outskirts of Colombo, the government information department said.
In a statement, the government information department said that an immediate curfew had been imposed in Mattakkuliya, Modara, Bloemendhal, Grandpass and Wellampitiya areas, in the Colombo district, since Thursday morning, until further notice.
Sri Lanka's total COVID-19 patient count jumped to 6,028 on Thursday after over 50 cases were detected during the day from the new Minuwangoda cluster, health ministry statistics showed.
The new cluster came to light after a 39-year-old apparel factory worker and her 16-year-old daughter tested positive for the virus on Oct. 4, leading to thousands of PCR tests to be conducted in and around the surrounding areas. The Gampaha district where Minuwangoda is located remains under a curfew since Wednesday.
Police have said that vehicles can pass through the curfew areas from other districts but passengers will not be allowed to step down.
Health authorities said the Minuwangoda cluster had led to several sub clusters being detected from several other areas which is why curfew was being imposed to prevent a further spread.
Thousands have been taken into quarantine in the past two weeks, the army said while additional hospitals have been equipped to treat the rising number of patients. Schools nationwide remain closed until further notice.
Out of the total number of COVID-19 patients detected to date since March, 3,561 patients have recovered and been discharged while 13 deaths have been reported. Enditem
