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Wednesday, 1 September 2021 02:30 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections rose to 440,302 with the detection of 4,221 COVID-19 positive persons yesterday.
According to health officials, the patients detected yesterday are from the New Year cluster. A total of 13,936 PCR tests were carried out yesterday.
On Monday, 13,696 PCR tests and 3,173 rapid antigen tests were carried out, keeping daily testing well below 20,000. According to the Epidemiology Unit, 4,558 persons from the New Year cluster and four persons from the Prisons cluster tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
In total, 332,998 patients from the New Year cluster and 8,162 patients from the Prisons cluster have been detected, along with 6,835 Sri Lankan overseas arrivals and 328 foreigners. The district distribution of COVID-19 patients shows 98,415 persons from Colombo, 79,753 persons from Gampaha, 43,820 persons from Kalutara, 24,037 persons from Galle, and 21,017 persons from Kurunegala.
Third wave detections from the Western Province consist of 66,118 persons from Colombo, 61,219 persons from Gampaha, and 36,762 persons from Kalutara.
The Epidemiology Unit adds that 374,156 persons have recovered from COVID-19 to date, including 2,164 persons who left hospitals yesterday.
At present, 56,961 persons are undergoing medical or home-based care with 3,416 persons suspected of having COVID-19 under observation.
According to State Minister of Indigenous Medicine Promotion, Rural and Ayurveda Hospitals Development and Community Health Sisira Jayakody, 13 Ayurveda hospitals are currently being used for COVID-19 treatment and five more hospitals are to be added to the COVID-19 treatment network in the coming week.
He added that 5,858 patients have thus far been admitted for treatment at an Ayurveda hospital. Of this, 4,720 have recovered and 299 have been transferred to other hospitals due to complications. While stating that Ayurveda and Western treatments go hand-in-hand, Jayakody said: “We have seen that complications are at a minimum in patients who receive Ayurveda treatment.”
Meanwhile, the Cabinet of Ministers on 30 August approved a proposal tabled by the Health Minister to provide a medicine box approved by the Formula Committee of the Department of Ayurveda to every family in the island.
The first phase of the project will cover 2.5 million families that lost their income during quarantine curfew and the second phase will provide the medicines to all remaining families. The program will provide families with immune-strengthening medicines and porridge.
At the press briefing held yesterday to announce Cabinet decisions made on Monday, Cabinet Co-Spokesperson Ramesh Pathirana said the quarantine curfew that is currently in place was not discussed at the Cabinet meeting.
However, he said that all factors as well as recommendations from health officials are considered when making such decisions.
