• Decision taken at meeting chaired by President

Instructions have been given to the Ministry of Health by the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) to closely monitor the PCR tests conducted in private hospitals. [caption id="attachment_103644" align="alignleft" width="300"] Technician running diagnostics on samples collected for PCR testing at a work bench in National Institute for Infectious Disease (IDH), Mulleriyawa, Photo Twitter[/caption] The decision, along with several other important decisions, had been taken by the NOCPCO at a meeting held yesterday (1) with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat. It is also noted that the Government’s measure to quarantine people in their own homes instead of taking them to quarantine centres has had successful results, and further instructions have been given to closely monitor the ongoing home quarantine programme by the medical officers of health (MOHs), the public health inspectors (PHI), the Police, and the Army. Furthermore, travelling between districts for any purpose except for essential services including distribution of goods has also been suspended, and the Police was also instructed not to issue curfew permits as usual during this period. President Rajapaksa has also insisted members of the NOCPCO to conduct continuous and regular random tests, and to give their results within a short period of time. Whether the PCR test is carried out by a private hospital or the government, it is mandatory to refer the person to quarantine until the results are obtained, it was stressed. Meanwhile, the curfew imposed in the Western Province last week has been further extended until 5 a.m. on 9 November. The curfew has also been imposed in the Eheliyagoda Police Division, Kurunegala Municipal Council area, and Kuliyapitiya Police Division in the Ratnapura District until 9 November.