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Approximately 1 million monthly PCRs, RATs to continue  

12 Oct 2021

BY Buddhika Samaraweera Claiming that nearly one million polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and rapid antigen tests (RATs) have been performed every month over the past few months, the Health Ministry has stated that it is possible to maintain this level of testing in the future too. Addressing a media briefing held yesterday (12), Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General (DDG), and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said that a proportion of the number of PCR tests and RATs performed on a daily basis at present are random tests while the rest is performed on targeted patients. “In recent days, nearly 5,000 PCR tests have been performed daily. In addition, about 20,000 RATs are also being carried out on a daily basis. Almost a million or so tests have been performed every month, including during September, and we have the ability to continue it,” he added. Meanwhile, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President Ravi Kumudesh, on an earlier occasion, told The Morning that even after the reopening of the country, tests should be carried out under a scientific methodology covering all districts in order to identify Covid-19-infected patients. Taking into account the rapid spread of Covid-19 and the increase of the number of Covid-19 deaths in the country, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on 20 August, declared a countrywide lockdown status and it was later lifted on 1 October. However, Dr. Herath recently warned that the risk of the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic is even higher, now that many of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus have been lifted. “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 noted.  According to the Epidemiology Unit, Sri Lanka, as of 5.50 p.m. yesterday (12), had recorded 13,377 Covid-19 deaths, while the total number of infections stood at 527,584, of which a total of 490,800 patients have recovered.


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