Nearly 4,000 Sri Lankan Navy personnel and their families have been quarantined at a major naval facility after 60 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in two days, a media report said on Saturday.
The move came as 30 Navy personnel tested positive for the COVID-19 virus each on Friday and Saturday at the country's Welisara Naval camp, the state-run Daily News reported.
"Today 30 Navy personnel have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Another 30 had tested positive for the virus yesterday," Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva was quoted as saying by the paper during his media briefing of the National Operation Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 here.
Following the new cases, nearly 4,000 naval personnel and their families at the naval base have been isolated within the camp, the paper reported, citing an order issued by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The spurt in new cases came amidst Sri Lanka deciding to lift the nationwide curfew imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus on Monday.
Sri Lanka has been under a strict curfew since March 20 to combat the COVID-19 that has claimed seven lives and infected 420 people.
The government had on Monday dropped its decision to relax the nationwide curfew and extended it to April 27 following a sudden spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
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