• 5,849 PCR tests conducted on Tuesday
• Total patient count rises to 527,735, includes 423,102 from New Year cluster
• 23,558 persons under medical or home-based care
• Recoveries rise to 490,800 with addition of close to 10,000 recoveries in October

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections rose to 527,735 with 671 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday.

The patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster and 5,849 PCR tests were conducted yesterday.

According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 5,299 PCR tests and 2,430 rapid antigen tests were conducted the previous day. On Monday, 667 persons from the New Year cluster and 14 persons from the Prisons cluster tested positive for COVID-19.

The country’s total COVID-19 detections include 423,102 persons form the New Year cluster, 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, 8,932 persons from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 persons form the Divulapitiya cluster.

The country’s imported cases include 6,944 Sri Lankans and 328 foreigners.

The Epidemiology Unit states that 111,584 persons from Colombo, 93,496 persons from Gampaha, 51,407 persons from Kalutara, 32,126 persons from Galle, and 25,397 persons from Kurunegala have tested positive for COVID-19.

During the third wave of the pandemic, 79,287 patients from Colombo, 74,962 patients from Gampaha and 44,349 patients from Kalutara were detected.

At present, 23,558 persons are under medical and home-based care, and 2,843 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation.

The Epidemiology Unit states that 380 persons were released from care yesterday. They added that 9,921 discharges of persons, including those from the tri-forces, police, and prisons who completed home-based care between 4 October and 11 October were added to the COVID-19 recoveries yesterday.

This brings the country’s COVID-19 recoveries to 490,800.

• 23 more COVID-19 fatalities confirmed on Monday

• 97,166 persons received COVID-19 vaccines on Monday