A patient in Jaffna has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, after he reportedly spent time with a pastor who delivered a service at a church in the district.
The director of Jaffna Teaching Hospital T. Sathiyamoorthy confirmed that the patient had reportedly been in close contact with the pastor at the Philadelphia Missionary Church in Ariyalai, where he delivered a service to approximately 150 people. The pastor is currently receiving treatment in Switzerland where he is based, after testing positive for a coronavirus infection.
"Several persons attended the prayer meet which the pastor conducted and this person was in the pastor's room closely moving with him,” said Sathiyamoorthy.
File photograph: A service at the Philadelphia Missionary Church
"The person in the special unit of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital in isolation and being carefully watched by medical staff,” he added.
"I praise the medical staff who came forward to help at this dire emergency at a time like this. And we will be testing all who participated in the prayer meet and medical precautions are being taken".
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
