Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Monday, 9 August 2021 02:58 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
Over 5,500 persons tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, with 2,956 detections yesterday and 2,815 detections on Saturday.
The patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster and the patients detected the previous day include 2,786 persons from the New Year cluster, 19 Sri Lankan overseas arrivals, and 10 persons from the Prisons cluster.
This brings the Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, Prisons and New Year clusters to 321,378 patients, of which 224,651 persons are from the New Year cluster, 82,785 persons are from the Peliyagoda cluster, 7,917 persons are from the Prisons cluster and 3,059 persons are from the Divulapitiya cluster.
The country’s imported COVID-19 cases consists of 6,384 Sri Lankan returnees from overseas and 328 foreigners.
On Saturday, 18,033 PCR tests and 5,877 rapid antigen tests were carried out, while 18,704 PCR tests were carried out yesterday.
A total of 329,994 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 to date, including 76,324 persons from Colombo, 59,245 persons from Gampaha, 35,608 persons from Kalutara, 16,046 persons from Kurunegala, and 15,679 persons from Galle.
During the third wave of the pandemic, 44,027 persons from Colombo, 40,711 persons from Gampaha and 28,550 persons from Kalutara tested positive for COVID-19.
This includes the patients detected on Saturday, of which 413 were from Colombo, 413 were from Galle, and 324 were from Kalutara.
At present, 31,620 persons are under medical care and hospitals are observing 2,796 persons suspected of having COVID-19.M According to Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena, the Government has taken measures to procure oxygen if required in future.
“There is an increase in the requirement of oxygen compared to previous patients, but there is no shortage of oxygen yet and we have the required amount,” he said.
Hospitals discharged 2,563 persons yesterday, raising the country’s COVID-19 recoveries to 293,357.