State Minister Jeevan Thondaman and several others are self-isolating after being identified as contacts of a Covid-19 infected person.

Regional Director of Health Services in Nuwara Eliya Dr Imesh Prathapasinghe said the state minister was placed under isolation at his residence at Ceylon Workers’ Congress headquarters in Kotagala yesterday (23).

The state minister had been a contact of Agarapathana Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Kadir Selvam, who recently tested positive for Covid-19, from December 17-19.

Mr Thondaman is expected to be referred to a PCR test.

In the meantime, Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation C.B. Rathnayake and MPs Nimal Piyatissa and Marudapandy Rameshwaran, who attended the Talawakelle urban development meeting, have also been placed under self-isolation.

Further, former Minister S.B. Dissanayake is also self-isolating after taking part in a meeting attended by Minister Rathnayake.

In addition, 10 persons including Talawakelle-Lindula mayor, chairmen of Nuwara Eliya, Kotagala, Ambagamuwa, Norwood and Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha as well as two regional media correspondents have also been placed under isolation.

State Minister Thondaman had joined a meeting convened in Colombo recently to discuss estate workers’ salary issues.

According to reports, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva also joined the said meeting held at the Ministry of Labour on Monday (21).