Minuwangoda case: ‘We are trying to trace how virus got in’

More than 1,000 workers have tested positive for coronavirus at a Sri Lanka factory that until August was producing surgical masks for the US, officials said Wednesday, as reported by AFP.

Factory owner Brandix, hailed internationally for its sustainable practices, said efforts to contain the explosion of infections at the site — near the capital, Colombo — were hampered by a high number of asymptomatic carriers, AFP reported.

Sri Lanka’s chief epidemiologist, Sudath Samaraweera, called on local communities to cooperate with authorities amid fears the outbreak could spread further.

“We are trying to trace how the virus got in, but we may or may not succeed,” Samaraweera was quoted as saying by AFP in Colombo.