Forty-nine officials including the Officer in Charge of the Kosgoda Police who are currently under quarantine for suspected for COVID-19 were replaced by another set of officers including an Acting OIC selected from nearby Police stations in the area, Galle Division DIG Nuwan Wedasinghe said.

Following the new measure by the DIG, the Kosgoda Police Station continued its functions as usual without interruption.

“The Kosgoda Police OIC and his staff had to undergo quarantine as two Policemen were reported to have taken treatment last Friday (16) from an Ayurveda doctor who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Soon after the discovery, Public Health Inspectors of the area initiated swift steps to disinfect the entire Police station premises and eight Police personnel being referred to the Habaraduwa quarantine centre while other officers were instructed to be quarantined at their own residences. We are thankful to the Public Health Inspectors of the area for their prompt health measures,” the DIG stated.

“We did not close the Police station due to the unexpected health issue. We detailed a new set of officers together with an Acting OIC to continue with the functions of the Police station without interruption. At present the Kosgoda Police station functions as usual,” DIG Wedasinghe added.

The Galle District Health Services Director’s Office had announced that an Ayurveda Doctor, his wife and another person from an Ayurveda Centre at Katuwila, Balapitiya had tested positive for COVID-19. They have been identified as associates of the Colombo Dockyard COVID-19 patient who was detected earlier.