Friday Dec 13, 2024
Friday Dec 13, 2024
Friday, 29 October 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections rose to 538,860 with the detection of 540 COVID-19 patients yesterday.
According to the Epidemiology Unit, the COVID-19 patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster. A total of 5,050 PCR tests were conducted yesterday.
On Wednesday, 5,459 PCR tests and 3,940 rapid antigen tests were performed and 559 persons tested positive for COVID-19. The detections include 556 persons from the New Year cluster and three persons from the Prisons cluster.
A total of 434,228 patients have been detected from the New Year cluster and 9,051 patients have been detected from the Prisons cluster. The country’s local COVID-19 detections also include 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster and 3,059 persons from the Divulapitiya cluster.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 6,955 Sri Lankans and 328 foreigners make up the country’s imported cases.
The district distribution of COVID-19 cases shows 112,823 persons from Colombo, 95,306 persons from Gampaha, 51,920 persons from Kalutara, 33,278 persons from Galle, and 25,992 persons from Kurunegala.
During the third wave of the pandemic, 80,526 persons from Colombo, 76,772 persons from Gampaha and 44,862 persons from Kalutara tested positive for COVID-19.
At present, 13,301 persons are under medical or home-based care and 2,391 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 7,181 recoveries between 21 October and 27 October were deducted from the total. These are persons who were receiving home-based care and did not require hospitalisation. They include those from the tri-forces, police, and prisons.
In addition to this, 306 persons were released from care yesterday.
The country’s COVID-19 recoveries have thus risen to 511,863.
Meanwhile, it was stated that Sri Jayewardenepura University Immunology and Molecular Medicine Department Head Prof. Neelika Malavige had been appointed to the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to advise on scientific, technical and strategic matters related to the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP).
The 10-member group is composed of renowned experts appointed by WHO for the period of 2021 to 2023.
