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Risk of Covid spread high: Health Ministry 

11 Oct 2021

BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Health Ministry has warned that the risk of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic is higher now that many of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus have been lifted. Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General (DDG), and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said: “We have so far lifted a number of measures taken to control the spread of this disease such as travel restrictions. Given that fact, the risk of the spread of Covid-19 is even higher now.” He further pointed out that due to the said higher risk, it is essential for the people to follow the Covid-19-related health guidelines as usual. Dr. Herath made these remarks when questioned by the media during a press briefing held yesterday (11) on whether the country is now safe from the risk of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, when queried as to when the people would be able to return to the lifestyle as it was before 2019, he said that he cannot say. “I don’t think that we will be able to get back to such a lifestyle again, but we need to move on to a new normal,” he noted. Pointing out that the situation in which more than 500 cases of Covid-19 infections and nearly 50 deaths are being reported daily at present, Dr. Herath, on an earlier occasion, said that it is imperative that the public continue to follow the Covid-19-related health guidelines in order to prevent a further spread. “There are still more than 500 Covid-19 patients and between 40-50 deaths being reported daily. We can never be satisfied with that. Therefore, we urge the people not to act in a manner that reverses what has been achieved by controlling the disease to this extent from a very serious situation,” he said recently. The islandwide lockdown status which was imposed in August due to the increase in daily Covid-19 infections and deaths in the country, and had been in place for six weeks, was lifted at 4 a.m. on 1 October. According to the Epidemiology Unit, Sri Lanka has, as of 11.30 p.m. on 10 October, recorded 13,331 Covid-19 deaths, while the total number of infections stood at 526,383, of which a total of 480,097 patients have recovered.


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