• Delta variant likely to have spread to all districts, Health Min. warns
• 20-30% of Colombo’s cases could be Delta variant
• 1,665 COVID-19 patients detected on Monday
• Total patient count rises to 298,181, includes 153,346 from Western Province

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

Health officials yesterday warned that the Delta variant is likely to have spread across the country, adding that estimates found that 30% of samples collected from Colombo are of the Delta variant.

According to Health Ministry Media Spokesperson Dr. Hemantha Herath, a percentage of the 1,666 COVID-19 patients detected on Sunday could also be of the Delta variant.

“There could be patients with the Delta variant more or less in every district. As per estimates received thus far, 20-30% of detections in Colombo District could be of the Delta variant. We can say with confidence that all other areas also have the Delta variant,” Dr. Herath said.

Meanwhile, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children Director Dr. G. Wijesuriya said that over five COVID-19 positive persons are detected daily among patients of the hospital.

“Eight to ten parents and children contract the virus every day,” he said, adding that the children are below the age of 14.

Previously, detections were at one patient a day.

COVID-19 detections across the country have risen to 298,181 with 1,665 persons testing positive for the virus yesterday. According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 10,145 PCR tests were carried out yesterday.

The patients detected yesterday include 1,653 persons from the New Year cluster, with a total of 194,467 patients having been detected from the cluster. Local cases also include 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, 7,812 persons from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 persons from the Divulapitiya cluster. The cumulative patient count of the four clusters is 289,786.

The imported cases consist of 6,151 Sri Lankan overseas arrivals and 328 foreigners.

This takes into account Sunday’s detections, of which 1,610 were from the New Year cluster, 46 were from the Prisons cluster, and 10 were Sri Lankan overseas returnees. The Health Promotion Bureau stated that 11,578 PCR tests and 3,330 rapid antigen tests were carried out on Sunday.

The district distribution of the patients detected on Sunday recorded 360 persons from Colombo, 256 persons from Gampaha, and 172 persons from Galle.

During the third wave of the pandemic, 35,865 patients from Colombo, 34,453 patients from Gampaha, and 25,139 patients from Kalutara have been detected.

The country’s total COVID-19 detections include 68,162 persons from Colombo, 52,987 persons from Gampaha, 32,197 persons from Kalutara, 15,037 persons form Kurunegala, and 14,291 persons from Kandy.

At present, 25,075 persons are under medical care and hospitals are observing 1,242 persons suspected of having COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the country’s COVID-19 recoveries rose to 269,007 with 1,405 persons discharged from hospitals yesterday. 

COVID-19 death toll rises to 4,147 with 48 fatalities

SL receives 1.6 million doses of Sinopharm and 90,000 doses of Pfizer