nspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana Wickramaratne has been placed in self- quarantine since Monday (07) after a member of his staff had contracted the coronavirus, the Aruna Newspaper reported.

As a result, the IGP had not attended the National Security Council meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa held yesterday (08).

The IGP and his staff members at the Police Headquarters have reportedly gone into self-isolation after his driver had tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

The Police Media Unit has reported that officers from other units have been restricted from visiting the IGP’s office.

Meanwhile, officers attached to the Intelligence Unit office under the purview of the IGP located at Malalasekara Mawatha in Colombo have also been placed in self-quarantine after a Covid patient was detected from the office.

Issuing a statement, the Police Media Unit has refuted reports claiming that nearly 150 Police Officers at the Police Headquarters have contracted the virus.

The Police said the front page news article on Lankadeepa in this regard was false.

They said only three officers attached to the Police Headquarters were infected as of now.

It is reported that nearly 1500 officers from the Police force have contracted the coronavirus since October 04.