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Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Tuesday, 8 December 2020 01:45 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
The Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda and Prisons COVID-19 cluster yesterday reached 25,025 patients, with the detection of 703 new patients.
According to the Department of Government Information, 466 persons are associates of the Peliyagoda cluster and 237 persons are linked to the Prisons cluster.
With the new patients, the total number of COVID-19 patients identified in Sri Lanka has increased to 28,580. In addition to the current COVID-19 cluster, the total count includes 1,523 Sri Lankan returnees from abroad, 950 Navy personnel and their contacts, 651 persons linked to the Kandakadu cluster and 119 foreigners.
According to the Epidemiology Unit, 7,634 persons are currently receiving treatment for COVID-19, which includes 532 persons at the Punani Treatment Centre, 495 persons at the Bingiriya Treatment Centre, 471 persons at the Kandakadu Treatment Centre and 351 persons at the Neville Fernando Hospital. Hospitals are also monitoring 491 persons suspected of having COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 recoveries in the country rose to 20,804, with hospitals discharging 344 persons yesterday. According to the Epidemiology Unit, 58 persons from the Punani Treatment Centre, 45 persons from the Neville Fernando Hospital and 35 persons from the Samanalawewa Treatment Centre were among those discharged yesterday.
The Epidemiology Unit adds that over 18,500 COVID-19 patients have been detected from the Western Province to date. Of this, 11,077 are from the Colombo District, 6,521 are from the Gampaha District and 1,333 are from the Kalutara District. The district distribution of COVID-19 patients also records 706 from Kandy and 369 from Kurunegala, and 264 from Galle.
Looking at the 649 COVID-19 patients detected on Sunday, 295 were from the Colombo District, 87 were from Gampaha and 51 were from Kalutara. Sunday’s patients also include 197 from prisons and one overseas arrival.
The patients identified from the Colombo District include 79 from Welikada, 49 from Wellawatte, 29 from Mattakkuliya and 22 from Dematagoda. The patients identified from Gampaha include 44 from Mahara, nine from Veyangoda, five from Biyagama and five from Wattala.
According to the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), 147 persons arrived in the island yesterday. This includes 52 persons from the United Arab Emirates, 50 persons from Qatar, 44 persons from Maldives and one person from Pakistan. All overseas arrivals have been directed for quarantine and the NOCPCO stated that 6,879 persons are currently undergoing the process at 67 centres in the island.
According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 917,741 PCR tests have been carried out in the island to date, including 13,831 tests on Sunday.
Deputy Director General of Public Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath stated that health authorities yesterday launched a program to increase testing in isolated areas in Colombo.
“With this extension, PCR tests and rapid antigen diagnostic tests in these areas will be increased and the maximum number of tests will be carried out to identify as many patients as possible and rectify this situation as soon as possible,” he said.
Dr. Herath added that 2,556 hospital beds and 129 ICU beds are available for COVID-19 patients, with 17 ICU beds currently in use.
Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Editor Dr. Haritha Aluthge highlighted the need for a strategy to manage COVID-19 deaths.
“The number of deaths is high compared to before and we have come to a point where a death occurs every six to eight hours. On some days, a death occurs every three hours,” he said, adding that a higher number of COVID-19 deaths is seen from high density areas.
While 142 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in the island, only 13 of them occurred before 4 October, when the current cluster emerged. According to the Epidemiology Unit, the COVID-19 death toll had risen to 20 by 1 November and 118 by 1 December.
The GMOA Editor went on to say that several deaths occurred close to each other in Atalugama and that sufficient PCR testing has not been carried out to properly estimate the risk in Atalugama.
“In terms of the Colombo Municipal area, 50% of the deaths occur in these areas, so we need to go forward with a proper strategy to manage the deaths,” Dr. Aluthge said.
He added that the health system could collapse if the daily number of patients detected exceeds the number of recoveries, but went on to say that the GMOA believes Sri Lanka can avoid such a situation.
