Another sample collected from the Chinese woman, who was tested positive for the deadly coronavirus that has killed 106 so far, is to be directed to a test in a foreign country in order to identify its genetic form, says Dr. Anil Jasinghe, the Director General of Health Services.
This is the first confirmed case of coronavirus reported in Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Health said yesterday (27).
The diagnosed woman, who is 47-year old Chinese from Hubei Province in China, was admitted at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in critical condition.
She was tested positive for the new Coronavirus during treatment, according to Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, Chief Epidemiologist at the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry.
Dr. Samaraweera has stated that the woman arrived on the 19th of January as a tourist with another group of travelers and was screened at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for having a high fever.
The rest of the travelers accompanying her had already left the country and the hotels she and her travel companions had stayed at have been identified, he mentioned further.
In the meantime, the BIA has suspended issuing ‘On Arrival Visa’ for Chinese nationals arriving in Sri Lanka, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi has said.
