Sunday Nov 24, 2024
Sunday Nov 24, 2024
Tuesday, 8 June 2021 01:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Health authorities yesterday confirmed that 2,646 persons tested positive for COVID-19 within the day, bringing the total number of detections in the country to 207,979.
The patients detected yesterday include 2,610 persons linked to the New Year cluster and the Department of Government Information states that the Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, Prisons and New Year clusters have expanded to 201,264.
The cumulative patient count of the clusters takes into account the 106,411 patients linked to the New Year cluster, 82,785 patients linked to the Peliyagoda cluster, 6,399 patients from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 patients from the Divulapitiya cluster.
This includes the 2,932 patients from the New Year cluster and 44 patients from the Prisons cluster detected on Sunday. The 2,976 COVID-19 patients detected on Sunday include 805 persons from Gampaha, 589 persons from Colombo, 300 persons from Kalutara, 128 persons from Nuwara Eliya, and 112 persons from Jaffna.
The district distribution of COVID-19 patients records 51,935 persons from Colombo, 34,990 persons from Gampaha, 22,226 persons from Kalutara, 10,862 persons from Kandy, and 10,254 persons from Kurunegala.
The country’s total patient count also includes 4,447 Sri Lankan returnees from abroad and 318 foreigners.
Health authorities also confirmed 47 COVID-19 deaths yesterday and the country’s COVID-19 fatalities have risen to 1,789.
At present, 30,145 persons are under medical care and 1,284 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation at various treatment centres.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 1,670 persons were discharged from treatment centres yesterday and the country’s total number of COVID-19 recoveries has risen to 176,045.
According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 19,539 PCR tests were performed yesterday.
Health Ministry Media Spokesperson Dr. Hemantha Herath yesterday explained that factory workers who are contacts of a COVID-19 patient should be tested 10 days after they are exposed to the virus and not immediately after exposure.
“Factory workers are called into work after contacts test negative when subjected to a PCR test immediately after an employee tests positive. This is not what our guidelines state,” Dr. Herath said.
He explained that a patient can transmit the virus two to 10 days after contracting it but that their PCR test may come back negative due to an insufficient viral load.
“This is why we say that the PCR test should be carried out after 10 days,” he said.
