Sri Lanka says more than 300 garment factory workers are infected with the coronavirus
October 6, 2020, 9:30 AM
• 3 min read
Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka confirmed more than 300 garment factory workers have been infected with the coronavirus, after reporting its first community infection in two months.
The health ministry said 321 cases have been identified in the cluster as of Tuesday after the first patient was diagnosed at a hospital two days ago.
To contain the outbreak, the government imposed a curfew in two suburbs of the capital where the majority of patients live, closed schools and universities, and imposed restrictions on public transport.
For more than two months, Sri Lanka health officials have said they have prevented a community spread of the virus and that all diagnosed patients had belonged to two known clusters.
The country has reported 3,471 patients with 13 deaths. Of the total patients, 3,259 have recovered.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:
— Trump staged a dramatic return to the White House after leaving hospital where he received unprecedented level of care for COVID-19
— Trump’s return to the White House puts focus on people who could be further exposed if he doesn’t abide by isolation protocols
— Some survivors and kin of those who have died are angry over Trump’s advice not to fear COVID-19
— White House blocks FDA guidelines on bringing potential vaccines to market that would almost certainly prevent approval before election
— Ultra-Orthodox Jews account for over one-third of Israel’s virus patients as non-compliance tests gov’t and public health officials
— About 25 residents from Easter Island stranded 6 months in Tahiti will finally be able to return home this week on French military plane
— Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
NEW DELHI — India has registered 61,267 new coronavirus cases, its lowest daily increase since Aug. 25.
The country with nearly 6.7 million reported infections has had the highest single-day increases in the world for nearly 45 days. The last three weeks, however, have seen a gradual decline.
The Health Ministry on Tuesday also reported 884 deaths in the past 24 hours. The death toll now stands at 103,569.
India has the second-highest number of reported infections and is on track to exceed the caseload in the United States within weeks.
India's recovery rate is more than 84%, the highest in the world, and nearly 5.7 million people have recovered, according to the Health Ministry.
