• 7,740 PCR tests carried out on Thursday
• Total patient count rises to 517,377, includes 412,674 persons from New Year cluster
• 253,021 COVID-19 patients detected from Western Province
• 46,983 persons under medical or home-based care

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 detections rose to 517,377 with the detection of 912 COVID-19-positive persons yesterday.

The patients detected were from the New Year cluster and 7,740 PCR tests were conducted yesterday.

The previous day, 7,368 PCR tests and 3,823 rapid antigen tests were carried out and 941 patients from the New Year cluster were detected.

The New Year cluster has a patient count of 412,674 and the Prisons cluster has a patient count of 8,768. The country’s COVID-19 detections also include 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster and 3,059 persons from the Divulapitiya cluster.

In terms of imported cases, 6,937 Sri Lankans and 328 foreigners have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Epidemiology Unit states that 110,212 persons from Colombo, 92,134 persons from Gampaha, 50,675 persons from Kalutara, 30,663 persons from Galle, and 24,862 persons from Kurunegala have tested positive for COVID-19.

Western Province detections during the third wave of the pandemic include 77,915 patients from Colombo, 73,600 patients from Gampaha, and 43,617 patients from Kalutara.

At present, 46,983 persons are under medical or home-based care, and 2,739 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation. The Epidemiology Unit states that 631 persons were released from care yesterday, raising the country’s COVID-19 recoveries to 457,488.

• 59 more COVID-19 deaths raise fatalities to 12,906

• Both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine administered to 54.43% of total population