• 269,946 COVID-19 patients detected in total
• Includes 262,121 patients from Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, Prisons and New Year clusters
• 140,453 detections from Western Province alone, over 82,000 detections during third wave
• 27,011 COVID-19 patients under medical care

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections rose to 269,946 with 1,270 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday.

Among the patients detected yesterday were 1,223 persons from the New Year cluster. This brings the cumulative patient count of the Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, Prisons and New Year clusters to 262,121.

The cumulative patient count includes 167,846 persons from the New Year cluster, 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, 7,198 persons from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 persons from the Divulapitiya cluster.

At present, only the New Year and Prisons clusters are active, with the New Year cluster marking the onset of the third wave of the pandemic in Sri Lanka.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, 30,696 persons from Colombo, 28,868 persons from Gampaha, and 22,682 persons from Kalutara have tested positive for COVID-19 during the third wave alone. Overall, 62,993 patients from Colombo, 47,402 patients from Gampaha, and 29,740 patients from Kalutara, as well as 14,301 patients from Kurunegala and 13,578 patients from Kandy have been detected.

This includes 223 persons from Kalutara, 183 persons from Colombo, and 168 persons from Gampaha who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

A total of 1,243 persons tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and 6,403 PCR tests and 3,897 rapid antigen tests were carried out. The Epidemiology Unit states that 1,222 persons from the New Year cluster, 14 Sri Lankan returnees from overseas and seven persons from the Prisons cluster make up Wednesday’s detections.

The total number of COVID-19 patients detected among Sri Lankan returnees from overseas is 5,546 and 328 foreigners have also tested positive for COVID-19 in the country.

At present, 27,011 persons are receiving treatment for COVID-19 and 757 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation. Meanwhile, hospitals yesterday discharged 1,453 persons, raising the country’s COVID-19 recoveries to 239,584.

40 COVID-19 deaths raise fatalities to 3,391

Administration of Pfizer in place of AstraZeneca second dose suspended