Health authorities have confirmed that two close contacts of State Minister Piyal Nishantha have contracted COVID19.

One of them is an officer attached to the Ministerial Security Division and the other is a supporter of the State Minister. The suppoer has also been identified as a neighbour of the State Minister.

Both of them have been referred to COVID19 treatment centres.

Piyal Nishantha was one of the ministers who publicly consumed the 'Dhammika Peniaya" and encouraged the public to use it as a cure for COVID19.

He is the fourth Sri Lankan MP to be identified as a COVID19 patient.