15,000-20,000 PCR tests needto be done daily to contain the pandemic- Dr. Sudath Samaraweera

• Expediting testing and isolation of patients is the best strategy
• Health authorities were carrying out PCR tests sufficiently, and therefore there was no need to increase the number further 

By Kelum Bandara 

Chief epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera yesterday stressed the importance of carrying out 15,000-20,000 PCR tests per day and expediting the isolation of infected persons from the community to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.   

Dr. Samaraweera was responding to a query about new measures to control the pandemic which has spread to a wider geographical area at the moment. He said identification of patients through testing and removal of them and their contacts from the community was the only option in preventing the further escalation of the cases.   
“There is nothing but expedition of this process,” he said.   

He said the health authorities were carrying out PCR tests sufficiently, and therefore there was no need to increase the number further.   

Deputy Director General of Laboratory Services Sudath Dharmaratne said swabs collected from suspected people were tested at 30 laboratories at the moment.   

“People should cooperate with us by following the health guidelines to make sure that the pandemic is not spread further,” he said. 

• Swabs collected from suspected people were tested at 30 laboratories at the moment   
• People should cooperate by following the health guidelines