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Daily caseload ‘unbearable’: Health Ministry

17 Sep 2021

  • Specialists urge lockdown extension till October
BY Buddhika Samaraweera and Dinitha Rathnayake Pointing out that the number of Covid-19 infections reported daily in the country is still at an unbearable level of well over 2,000 cases, the Health Ministry has stated that it should be brought down further to a satisfactory level of control of at least only 100 daily infections being reported. “There are about 2,300 daily Covid-19 infections reported these days. This needs to be further controlled. There was a time when not a single infection was reported in the country and only those who came here from other countries were found to be infected. I am not sure if we will be able to control the spread to that extent, but it should be controlled to the maximum extent possible,” Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General (DDG), and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said, addressing a media briefing yesterday (16). Dr. Herath also said that if the number of Covid-19 patients reported daily can be brought down to about 100 cases, only then can the health sector be satisfied with the pandemic control. “There was a time when only around 100 cases were reported per day. We can be satisfied if such a situation can be established.” The Health Ministry recently stated that although it appears that Sri Lanka is moving towards an environment conducive to lifting the ongoing travel restrictions, owing to reduced Covid-19 infections and deaths, and increased vaccinations, the situation is not yet entirely suitable to reopen the country. When Dr. Herath was questioned by the media regarding the possibility of reopening the country on a previous occasion, he responded that although the statistics pointed towards a conducive environment being created for the reopening of the country, it is not possible to be 100% satisfied with the current situation. “Statistically, we are moving towards a green light to reopen the country, but the current situation does not seem to be 100% suitable.” The Association of Medical Specialists in Sri Lanka (AMS) requested that the ongoing quarantine curfew lockdown be further extended from 21 September onwards till early next month (October). Releasing a statement in this regard, the AMS noted that if the current restrictions are relaxed too soon, there is a high possibility of the severe spread of the Covid-19 virus, thus resulting in the sudden increase in hospital admissions, in turn making it difficult for healthcare facilities to cope with such a high number of patients. “One must not ignore that a further period of extension of these travel restrictions will be required to reap the benefits of all the sacrifices of the entire nation. This can unfortunately increase the death rate especially with the identification of the Delta (B.1.617.2) Covid-19 variant of Indian origin as the dominant strain throughout the country. Therefore, we feel that due consideration should be given to long-term gains overlooking short-term losses when the extension of the lockdown is reviewed. As a country, our aim should be to move to the green zone from the current red zone in a sustainable manner as quickly as we can.” The AMS also urged utmost caution in the vaccination of schoolchildren with a view to reopen schools. “We endorse the recommendations of the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians regarding the vaccination of high risk-groups. However, the vaccination of all schoolchildren needs further substantiation of international studies, weighing the risks and benefits. As of today, if this age group needs vaccination, the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine should be considered as the most suitable vaccine but this should never be rushed without taking time for critical analysis; more so in the younger age groups, especially the 12-15 years age group. When schools reopen hurriedly, children in common conveyance systems with their playful behaviour will invariably result in another wave due to school clusters.” Speaking at a media briefing on 14 September, Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) President Dr. Padma Gunaratne stated that it is not appropriate to reopen the country at once, taking into account the current situation. Instead, she said, it would be appropriate to take steps to reopen the country step by step. “As a country, we have not yet moved out of the risk zone. We still identify 2,000 Covid-19-infected patients daily, which means that there are about 6,000 patients in the community, and more than 150 Covid-19 deaths a day are still being reported,” she noted. Dr. Gunaratne added that there is a risk of the virus spreading rapidly, as the Delta (B.1.617.2) Covid-19 variant of Indian origin is the main Covid-19 variant currently spreading in Sri Lanka. “Considering these facts, the country is still in the red zone. There is still a risk that the hospital capacity will be exceeded.” 


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