Army Commander Shavendra Silva said that eight more instructors of the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre currently on leave have been identified and brought back for quarantining, following a female instructor from Marawila area tested positive for Covid-19.

"After detection of the COVID-19 positive detainee from the Welikada Prisons on Tuesday (), prison detainees and prison staff were exposed to PCR tests, but all of them were confirmed negative to the virus. On the same day (7), all individuals inside that Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre underwent PCR tests. As of reports received so far, 57 of those individuals, subjected to PCR tests were confirmed positive to the virus. Of them was one female who is serving the Centre as an instructor, but currently on leave in Marawila area. Soon after she was diagnosed positive, her parents, family members and her associates have now been referred to PCR tests and are awaiting results of those reports.

All the other 56 individuals are remaining in the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre and possibilities of transmission of the virus to society are therefore nil. But 8 more instructors of the same Centre currently on leave have been identified and brought back for quarantining. Since there remains a possible risk in increase in the numbers of positive cases in the Centre, instructions have been given by both HE the President and Hon Prime Minister to adopt all necessary measures to avert the virus from transmitting to society from there.

This Rehabilitation Centre, managed by Ministry of Justice rehabilitates drug addicts and functions solely as a treatment and rehabilitation venue. Health Ministry investigations are underway in order to ascertain whether the transmission had occurred after recent arrival of a few drug addicts to this Centre for rehabilitation having been cleared of the virus after PCR tests on them or otherwise,” the Army Chief added.