983 persons test positive for COVID-19

• Daily detections drop below 1,000 for first time since 6 July
• Total patient count rises to 514,592, includes 409,842 from New Year cluster
• 46,517 persons under care, recoveries rise to 455,344
• Newly-opened testing facility at BIA suspends operations following technical difficulties
• Health officials say laboratory cannot open until issues are fixed

By Shailendree 

Wickrama Adittiya

COVID-19 detections in the country rose to 514,592 with the detection of 983 COVID-19 positive persons yesterday.

This is the first time daily COVID-19 detections have dropped below 1,000 since the beginning of July. Epidemiology Unit data shows that daily detections dropped to 869 on 5 July and 934 on 6 July, despite daily detections remaining above 1,000 since 27 April. On 26 April, 997 persons tested positive for COVID-19.

All patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster. According to the Health Promotion Bureau, 6,655 PCR tests were conducted yesterday.

The previous day, 9,997 PCR tests and 3,633 rapid antigen tests were conducted. A total of 1,078 COVID-19 patients were detected on Sunday, when 1,017 persons from the New Year cluster, 57 persons from the Prisons cluster, and four Sri Lankan overseas arrivals tested positive for COVID-19.

A total of 409,842 patients have been detected from the New Year cluster, 82,785 persons have been detected from the Peliyagoda cluster, 8,744 persons have been detected from Prisons cluster, and 3,059 persons have been detected from the Divulapitiya cluster.

The district distribution of COVID-19 detections shows 109,693 persons from Colombo, 91,694 persons from Gampaha, 50,346 persons from Kalutara, 30,341 persons from Galle, and 24,710 persons from Kurunegala.

During the third wave of the pandemic, 77,396 persons from Colombo, 73,160 persons from Gampaha, and 43,288 persons from Kalutara have tested positive for COVID-19.

At present, 46,517 persons are under medical or home-based care and 2,424 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation.

The Epidemiology Unit states that 455,344 persons have recovered from COVID-19 to date, with 812 persons released from care yesterday.

Meanwhile, it was stated that the PCR testing facility set up in the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) had temporarily suspended operations due to technical difficulties that arose when issuing test results to overseas arrivals. However, these technical difficulties are expected to be resolved today, following which operations will commence.

According to Deputy Director of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath, overseas arrivals are once again required to follow the previous system, where they must undergo hotel quarantine until they receive their test results.

“We expect that the passenger will receive their results before leaving the airport. We must organise the system so this occurs, and the laboratory must comply with this. Until we know this takes place properly, we cannot open it,” Dr. Herath said, adding that there is no protection in a system where reports are emailed to the passenger a few days after arrival in Sri Lanka.