Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Monday, 30 August 2021 02:54 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
Health officials stated that 4,612 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, raising the weekend detections to 9,208.
The patients detected yesterday are from the New Year cluster. The Health Promotion Bureau states that 13,446 PCR tests were carried out yesterday. On Saturday, 16,073 PCR tests and 4,621 rapid antigen tests were carried out.
The patients detected on Saturday include 4,576 persons from the New Year cluster, 14 Sri Lankan overseas returnees, and six persons from the Prisons cluster. A total of 318,482 patients have been detected from the New Year cluster, with the total detections including 8,154 persons from the Prisons cluster, 6,835 Sri Lankan overseas arrivals, and 328 foreigners.
The New Year cluster, which emerged in April and is the country’s largest COVID-19 cluster, marked the onset of the third wave of the pandemic. During the third wave, 64,157 persons from Colombo, 59,099 persons from Gampaha, 36,274 persons from Kalutara, 20,347 persons from Galle, and 17,314 persons from Kurunegala have tested positive for COVID-19.
Sri Lanka’s total COVID-19 detections currently stand at 426,169. Out of this, 96,454 are from Colombo, 77,633 are from Gampaha, 43,332 are from Kalutara, 22,996 are from Galle, and 20,535 are from Kurunegala.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 2,204 persons were released from treatment centres yesterday, raising the country’s COVID-19 recoveries to 357,598. At present, 59,796 persons are under medical or home-based care, with hospitals monitoring 3,264 persons suspected of having COVID-19. According to Consultant Family Physician Dr. Malkanthi Galhena, 16,502 persons are currently under home-based care, with a total of 41,826 persons having undergone home-based care for COVID-19 to date. She added that 24,847 have recovered and 474 had required hospital care. Meanwhile, Government Nursing Officers› Association (GNOA) President Saman Rathnapriya said 250 nurses from Kandy National Hospital, 60 nurses from Kalutara General Hospital, 110 nurses from Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, 70 nurses from Colombo South Teaching Hospital, and 100 nurses from Colombo North Teaching Hospital have contracted the virus. “Approximately 1,500 nurses across the island have contracted COVID-19 and, of the overall health staff, over 6,000 have contracted it,” he said, adding that eight health workers have died of COVID-19 as well.
