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By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
The country’s COVID-19 patient count yesterday rose to 119,424 with the detection of 1,895 COVID-19 positive persons.
Among the patients detected yesterday were 1,851 persons linked to the New Year cluster, to which 22,692 COVID-19 patients have been linked to date.
The country’s local cases also include 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, 4,899 persons from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 persons from the Divulapitiya cluster. The four clusters have a total patient count of 112,889.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 3,722 Sri Lankan returnees from abroad and 309 foreigners have also tested positive for COVID-19 in the island.
The district distribution of COVID-19 patients shows 35,425 persons from Colombo, 21,872 persons from Gampaha, 8,774 persons from Kalutara, 5,171 persons from Kurunegala, and 4,989 persons from Kandy.
Of the 1,939 COVID-19 patients detected on Wednesday, 498 persons were from Colombo District, 387 persons were from Gampaha District, and 377 persons were from Kalutara District.
The Health Promotion Bureau states that 26,360 PCR tests were performed on Wednesday.
At present, 17,805 persons are under medical care, including 831 persons at the Punani Treatment Centre, 471 persons at the Bingiriya Treatment Centre, and 401 persons at the Giriulla Treatment Centre. Hospitals also have 1,052 persons suspected of having COVID-19 under observation.
Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera yesterday warned that daily COVID-19 detections could exceed 2,000 in the coming days.
“The daily detections for close to a week have exceeded 1,500 and were close to 2,000. This could continue to increase in future and may even exceed 2,000. If any individual has COVID-19-like symptoms, they must refrain from interacting with society,” he said.
According to the Epidemiology Unit, 810 persons were discharged from hospitals yesterday having recovered from the virus. This includes 61 persons from the Hambantota District General Hospital, 50 persons from the Embilipitiya Treatment Centre, and 44 persons from the Panideniya Treatment Centre. The country’s COVID-19 recoveries have risen to 100,885.
According to the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), 8,437 persons are currently undergoing quarantine in 81 centres managed by the Sri Lanka Army, Navy and Air Force.
The NOCPCO also yesterday announced that the Panamgammana Grama Niladhari Division in the Kotmale Police Area and Subhadralankara Mawatha in the Andamkulam Grama Niladhari Division in the Trincomalee Police Area have been placed under isolation.
Meanwhile, NOCPCO Head Gen. Shavendra Silva stated that the Sri Lanka Army was close to completing a COVID-19 treatment centre that would expand the country’s bed capacity by 5,000 beds by Monday. According to him, 2,500 beds were added to the country’s COVID-19 treatment capacity on Wednesday.
He explained that of the 86,000 beds in the country’s hospital system, 5,600 were set aside for COVID-19 treatment. “Thereafter, we, the military, gave around 3,500 or so beds and that is how we managed about 8,000 patients in the hospitals,” Silva said.
The rise in COVID-19 detections, however, has created a need for more beds in treatment centres. To cater to this demand, the Sri Lanka Army have come forward to assist and support the health sector by expanding the country’s COVID-19 treatment and ICU capacities, he said.
