Photo: CFP

Sri Lankan authorities on Sunday imposed a curfew in some parts of Gampaha in the outskirts of capital Colombo after a 39-year-old garment factory worker was detected with COVID-19.

The government information department, in a statement, said the patient had been diagnosed with the virus and had been admitted to the National Infectious Disease Hospital in the outskirts of Colombo.

It was the first case of the virus to be detected in society in months.

The statement said nearly 15 staff members from the Gampaha hospital, where she was initially warded and 40 staff members of the private company where she was employed, have already been taken into quarantine.

"Further close associates of her are being identified and tests are being carried out on how the woman became infected. Further action will be taken on the PCR investigations carried out on the associates," the statement said.

"At this juncture, the health authorities are urging the public to take more precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19," the statement added.

Till Sunday noon, over 400 people have been identified as having come in contact with the patient and they had been subjected to home quarantine. Authorities said further contact tracing was ongoing to identify more associates in order to prevent a spread of the virus within the society.

The Education Ministry said that all schools islandwide would remain closed until further notice from Monday and all tuition classes would also remain closed.

The public has been urged to follow all health guidelines strictly and those leaving homes without masks would face stern action.

Sri Lanka has so far detected over 3,300 COVID-19 cases since the first local patient was detected in March.

The country had recorded 13 deaths from the virus.