The COVID-19 Analytical Committee yesterday met to discuss the COVID-19 spread in the country as well as preparations that should be made for the forthcoming festive season, the Primary Health Care, Epidemiology and Coronavirus Disease Control State Ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, officials involved in COVID-19 prevention, including Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Primary Health Care, Epidemiology and Coronavirus Disease Control State Ministry Secretary Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena, and Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, participated in the discussion.

At the discussion, Primary Health Care, Epidemiology and Coronavirus Disease Control State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, stated that strategic planning was required to prevent a problematic situation arising through COVID-19 patients attempting to hide their condition. This, she said, was a result of the unnecessary fear the public has of the virus.

Fernandopulle stressed that public awareness was required as social stigma surrounding COVID-19 was a contributing factor to this fear.

During an inquiry about the challenges associated with expanding daily PCR testing capacities, the shortage of ambulance services in areas where COVID-19 patients are detected was revealed, and the possibility of using ambulances from areas where patients are not detected was explored.

The State Ministry stated that the discussion also considered how the spread of COVID-19 in the Colombo municipal area can be contained with the intervention of the Health Ministry as well as how future clusters should be managed.

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