• Health officials stress that adherence to guidelines could reduce spread in coming weeks
• Total patient count rises to 546,653, includes 441,836 from New Year cluster
• Active patients drop to 10,577 following deduction of home-based patients released from care
• COVID-19 recoveries rise to 522,184

 By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections rose to 546,653 with 718 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday.

This is the first time COVID-19 detections have exceeded 700 since mid-October and Deputy Director of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said the public must act responsibly so health officials are not required to recommend another lockdown.

He explained that the slight rise in patients could be an indication of increased spread of COVID-19. “If we start following health guidelines now, we may be able to see a drop in the coming weeks,” Dr. Herath added.

The patients detected yesterday include one overseas arrival and 717 persons from the New Year cluster, which has expanded to 441,836 patients.

The Epidemiology Unit states that 82,785 patients are linked to the Peliyagoda cluster, 9,052 patients are linked to the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 patients are linked to the Divulapitiya cluster. The country’s imported cases include 6,961 Sri Lankans and 328 foreigners.

This takes into account 679 COVID-19 patients detected on Monday, when 7,719 PCR tests and 89 rapid antigen tests were conducted. All patients detected on Monday were from the New Year cluster.

The country’s COVID-19 detections include 113,579 persons from Colombo, 96,317 persons from Gampaha, 52,260 persons from Kalutara, 33,780 persons from Galle, and 26,443 persons from Kurunegala.

During the third wave of the pandemic, 81,282 persons from Colombo, 77,783 persons from Gampaha, and 45,202 persons from Kalutara tested positive for COVID-19.

At present, 10,577 persons are under medical or home-based care and 2,265 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation.

The number of active cases dropped after the Epidemiology Unit deducted 6,708 discharges of persons who completed 10 days of home-based care between 28 October and 8 November without requiring hospitalisation. The Epidemiology Unit states that 400 persons were released from care yesterday, raising the country’s COVID-19 recoveries to 522,184. 

• 17 more COVID-19 fatalities confirmed by health officials

• 40,730 persons vaccinated against COVID-19