708 confirmed new community cases

MRI Director removed

Many an eyebrow has been raised over the removal of Director of the Medical Research Institute (MRI) Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara. The top medical administrator of the country’s premier research lab has been made its Deputy and Dr. P. V. N. P. Amarasinghe, who had been its previous second in command promoted as the new Director of the MRI.

The removal of the top medical administrator took place close on the heels of the eruption of what has come to be termed the Brandix cluster. By yesterday afternoon, Brandix spokesperson placed the number of corona positive cases in the company at 567.

The Health Ministry sources said that Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi hadn’t been consulted on the removal of the MRI head.

Dr. Jayaruwan told our sister paper Divaina that he did not know why he had been removed even as there were no allegations against him. Dr. Jayaruwan said that he had served as the Director, MRI for a period of one and a half years without any issue. “During that period, some businessmen offered to arrange illegal transactions. Some claimed that they were meeting me with the knowledge of the President”, Dr. Jayaruwan said, adding that he had told them he could explain to the President, if he was asked to do so.

The top administrator said that perhaps such incidents had led to his removal.

Brandix spokesperson said that a total of 1,394 workers at their Minuwangoda manufacturing facility had undergone RT PCR tests and 567 tested positive. Later in the day, Lt. Gen Shavendra Silva said that altogether 708 positive cases had been reported.

Police headquarters yesterday urged the families of Brandix workers to remain at home while stringent measures were being taken to bring the situation under control.

Police have banned all public and social gatherings indefinitely.