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Saturday Nov 23, 2024
Tuesday, 2 November 2021 03:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections rose to 541,639 with 566 persons testing positive for the virus yesterday.
The COVID-19 patients detected yesterday include 564 persons from the New Year cluster and two overseas arrivals. The Health Promotion Bureau states that 6,109 PCR tests were performed yesterday.
On Sunday, 5,957 PCR tests and 3,083 rapid antigen tests were conducted and 542 COVID-19 patients from the New Year cluster were detected.
According to the Epidemiology Unit, 436,980 persons from the New Year cluster have been detected to date and the country’s local COVID-19 cases also include 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, 9,051 persons from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 persons from the Divulapitiya cluster.
In terms of imported cases, 6,956 Sri Lankans and 328 foreigners have tested positive for COVID-19 as well.
The district distribution of COVID-19 cases shows 113,145 persons from Colombo, 95,654 persons from Gampaha, 52,058 persons from Kalutara, 33,613 persons from Galle, and 26,153 persons from Kurunegala.
During the third wave of the pandemic, 80,848 persons from Colombo, 77,120 persons from Gampaha, and 45,000 persons from Kalutara tested positive for COVID-19.
At present, 14,787 persons are under medical or home-based care and 2,009 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 294 persons were released from care yesterday, raising the country’s COVID-19 recoveries to 513,092.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) yesterday urged the public to adhere to health guidelines as COVID-19 has not been eliminated completely from the country.
“In the past week, 5,002 patients were detected and, compared to the patients detected during the previous week, there is a 12.2% increase. Looking at fatalities, 132 deaths were reported in the past week. In the previous week, 121 deaths were reported, which is a 9% increase,” SLMA President Dr. Padma Gunaratne said.
Stressing the importance of monitoring the situation in the country and carrying out random testing, Dr. Gunaratne said the country could not be expected to go into another lockdown. Public activity must thus be controlled.
“I am not prepared to put this entirely on the public as the Government must monitor the situation to control it,” the SLMA President said.
