Chief Medical Officer of the Colombo Municipal Council Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni today stated that the COVID spread has lessened in the country and the evidence for that is that the simultaneously reduced death rates. “There were a number of allegations stating that the COVID spread had lessened because there were lesser PCR tests conducted. However, the death rates have gone down with the reduction of the number of patients. We cannot hide the death rates to the public, so we have to admit that the spread had lessened,” he said. He further stated that the public should not be complacent because of this but should continue to take precautions even if they have been vaccinated. Further, Army Commander and Head of the National Operations Center for the Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak Shavendra Silva yesterday told the media that the public should not celebrate the New Year season the way they did in 2019 because the spread would be increased by not taking the proper precautions. He said that a lockdown will not be necessary if the public act accordingly. The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccination was launched today (17) in selected areas in the Weliwa and Kodikaragoda West Divisions, which have been identified as two high risk Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Morawaka area, stated Dr. Ruwan Wijeyamuni. It was initiated at the Morawaka Medical Officer of Health office. Most of the 52 infected people identified in Morawaka recently are from these areas. Meanwhile, out of 250 PCR tests carried out at shops in Trincomalee last Monday, 41 Covid-19 infected people have been identified. Thirty of them are residents of Kattankudy while the other 11 are residents of Trincomalee.