For the 6th consecutive day, Sri Lanka records over 3000 COVID cases. According to Epidemiology Unit data, 3609 new COVID-19 cases were reported on August 17. Today caseload is the second highest recorded since the pandemic began.
Sri Lanka’s active COVID patients count is rapidly increasing. For the 1st time since the pandemic began, Sri Lanka’s active COVID patients count passed 45,000 mark. Active patients count is now 45,080.
Meanwhile Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) says that Sri Lanka is now at Community Transmission (CT) Level of the pandemic / WHO Situational Level 4 at present. Sri Lanka earlier listed Clusters of cases Alert Level 3. GMOA further says to mitigate the current rising trend and to bring about a reduction in future caseload the following 4 actions must be adhered to:
- Strict travel restrictions and stepwise exit
- Vaccination of 70% of population
- Implementation of 3rd dose of vaccine
- Improving testing capacity
Highly transmissible Delta variant is spreading rapidly across Sri Lanka and comprise around 75% of the new cases reported in the Western province, according to health experts.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka Medical Association SLMA requests from government to declare a very severe mobility restriction amounting to a lockdown for a minimum of 2 weeks while maintaining essential services and the programme for vaccination uninterrupted. Also they requests from government to allocate vaccines that provide some immunity even with a single dose to all elders and to people with comorbidities.
