Twenty-nine Navy personnel at the Sri Lanka Navy base in Welisara have been confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva said.

The Navy personnel had been infected while on a recent search for suspects from Suduwella, Ja-Ela, the Army Commander said issuing a special statement.

A Navy officer attached to the Welisara Navy Base had been tested positive for the virus yesterday (22) upon admittance to Welikanda Hospital over a sudden illness.

Thereby, other Navy personnel who shared the same lodging quarters and office spaces as the infected sailor and all persons who associated with him had been quarantined and directed for PCR testing.

As per the results of testing, 30 Navy personnel, including the previously identified sailor, have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Accordingly, the Navy Commander, yesterday, declared the Welisara Navy Base an isolated area.

It is confirmed that the previously identified sailor had been infected by another Navy personnel who shared lodging with him, said the Army Commander.

The relevant Navy personnel had been infected while on duty to search and quarantine suspects connected to drug-related offenses in the Suduwella area, he added.

All navy personnel at the Welisara Navy Base will be quarantined and subjected to PCR testing immediately, he said.

Further, all personnel of the Navy Base who had recently gone on leave have been called back immediately and will also be subjected to PCR testing as well, said the Army Commander.

Thereby, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka has surged to 368 cases, according to the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry.