168 offices in WP to be taken to task – Police

By Treshan Fernando

Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana yesterday (19) said that legal action will be taken against 168 institutions in Western Province (WP) for not adhering to the COVID-19 prevention guidelines inside office premises. DIG Rohana said that not providing facilities to wash hands, not conducting body temperature checks and not maintaining a register of those entering and leaving the premises were breach of the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance. 

He also said that legal action would be taken against 168 institutions for breaching the Ordinance.  He said, since 12 January, the Police began conducting inspections of private and Government institutions in order to check if precautionary measures are been adhered to. 

Accordingly, 4,134 inspections had been carried out; out of which 3,448 institutions were found to be adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines whereas 686 institutions were found to lack the necessary facilities. A special operation to identify those infected with COVID- 19 has been conducted since 21 December, 2020 within the Province, said Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana. Eleven WP exit points are being monitored and random Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) were performed on 10,926 individuals out of which 103 tested positive for COVID-19. 

On the eve of Thai Pongal, RATs were carried out on 1,658 people leaving the Province and 21 have tested positive, he said. From 5 January, a special operation was undertaken by the Police to arrest those who were not wearing facemasks in public places in the Western Province. A total of 2,807 suspects were arrested and RATs were performed on all of them where 50 suspects tested positive for COVID- 19. In addition, 661 workers at fish and vegetable shops were also tested and three had tested positive for the virus. 1,146 market vendors and pavement vendors were tested and three individuals were identified as infected.

In the Colombo Fort and Galle Face Green, RATs were conducted on 385 individuals and had 18 tested positive. 182 school van drivers were also tested and none were found positive. Further, 204 passengers on buses underwent RATs and five were identified as COVID-19 positive. Since 21 December 2020, a total 18,149 PCR tests and RATs were conducted in the Western Province.