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Notable decline in testing last week

30 May 2021

  • Less than 21,000 a day from 24 May onwards

  • Rest of the month was above 21,000 a day

  • JVP, SJB allege ploy to bring down reported cases

By Pamodi Waravita   The number of PCR tests conducted last week, specifically from 24 May onwards, to determine whether an individual is infected with the Covid-19 virus, stayed below the 21,000 mark, with the exception of yesterday (30), which is a notable decrease from the rate of testing during the first three weeks of May. According to the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) Covid-19 Dashboard, the number of PCR tests conducted from 30 April to 23 May had consistently exceeded 21,000 tests. However, from 24 May to 29 May, the number of tests conducted had significantly decreased, with only 17,159 tests being conducted on 24 May. The exception was yesterday (30), where the HBP reported 22,758 tests – the first time in seven days that the number had gone above 21,000. Speaking to the media on Saturday (29), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) politburo member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that the Government is attempting to show that the number of Covid-19 patients is decreasing by reducing testing. “The Government is consistently reducing the number of PCR tests conducted. When the number of patients being reported increased, the Government said that they did 25,000-26,000 PCR tests. However, today, the number of PCR tests has reduced to around 17,000, while there are still more than 2,000 cases being reported on a daily basis. As a percentage, we are still at a high positivity rate,” said Dr. Jayatissa. Thus, Dr. Jayatissa said that the number of Covid-19 cases being reported per day is less now due to the intentionally reduced testing rate in the country. Similarly, Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB) MP Harshana Rajakaruna also accused the Government of attempting to push a false narrative that reassures the public that the number of people testing positive for the virus is reducing. “Due to our constant complaining, only the Government initially increased the number of tests conducted per day. However, it has dropped again drastically. The Government is just trying to show that the number of infections have reduced, but even specialist doctors are saying that there are twice or thrice the number of reported cases actually in society,” said Rajakaruna. State Minister of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle has stated earlier this month that the number of cases in the community could be higher than the reported number of cases. Rajakaruna further claimed that unlike any other country in the world, Sri Lanka has prohibited PCR tests that could be voluntarily taken by individuals at private hospitals. On 23 May, the Ministry of Health issued guidelines stating that no walk-in or drive-through PCR or rapid antigen testing would be permitted, which shut down the drive-through PCR facilities that had been set up by several private hospitals and also ruled out walk-in tests. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention of the US (CDC), there are three main testing strategies adopted in this pandemic. “Diagnostic testing” is done when a person shows symptoms of Covid-19 or is suspected to have been exposed to the virus. “Screen testing” is recommended to identify asymptomatic Covid-19 patients, mainly to control transmission of the virus. Finally, “public health surveillance” testing is done randomly on a sample of a selected population to monitor community-level outbreaks of the virus. All attempts to contact State Minister of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, Ministry of Health Spokesman Dr. Hemantha Herath, and Ministry of Health Epidemiology Unit Head Dr. Sudath Samaraweera for comment proved unsuccessful.

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