Officials refuse to admit to community spread

18 May 2021 12:02 am Views - 217

By Easwaran Rutnam 

Health authorities have refused to admit to a community spread of the Coronavirus saying the situation was under control. 

The Ministry of Health said that the situation was under control and so it was difficult to admit that there was a community spread. 


Deputy Director-General at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hemantha Herath said that if there is a community spread then the existing strategy in dealing with the Covid situation in the country would need to change. 
However, he told reporters that people infected with the virus in Sri Lanka had been detected and isolated while contact tracing of their close contacts was underway. 


“To admit that a community spread has taken place most of the current activities need to change. At this moment we don’t have any evidence to warrant a change to the strategy to any other level,” he said. 
Dr Hemantha Herath said that people might have different views on a community spread but for the Health Ministry to admit that there is a community spread would require a complete change of the current strategy. 
“We are very firm on our view that the situation is under control,” he asserted. 


However, the Public Health Inspectors (PHI) insist that there is a community spread in Sri Lanka following the third wave. 


The Public Health Inspectors Union has also called on the Government to change its existing strategy in dealing with the pandemic. 


BLURB
To admit that a community spread has taken place most of the current activities need to change. At this moment we don’t have any evidence to warrant a change to the strategy to any other level-Dr Herath  


Blurb
People infected with the virus in Sri Lanka had been detected and isolated while contact tracing of their close contacts was underway.