• 80 percent of active cases are reported with no origin at present
• We are paying the price for the deliberate actions of people in the recent past 
• When the source of transmission for a large number of people is not traceable, it  is called a community transmission

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

In a situation where patients infected with COVID-19 are detected in every part of the country with no origin, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said there is no community transmission as yet in the country.   

Replying to a query posed by a journalist, he said technically, there is a difference between community transmission and patients being reported from the community. “At present, there is no community spread of the virus though cases are being detected from the community,” he said. However, Dr. Herath went on to admit the fact that the number of infections has gone up drastically. “We are paying the price for the deliberate actions of people in the recent past. We saw people acting irresponsibly and negligently taking health practices for granted. Thus, it is imperative to strictly adhere to health guidelines and practices; otherwise the situation would be more dreadful,” he added.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), community transmission “is evidenced by the inability to relate confirmed cases through chains of transmission for a large number of cases, or by increasing positive tests through sentinel samples (routine systematic testing of respiratory samples from established laboratories)”. When the source of transmission for a large number of people is not traceable, it is called a community transmission. When asked of this from Public Health Inspectors Union Head Upul Rohana, he told Daily Mirror that it is ridiculous to say that there is no community transmission in Sri Lanka. “At least 80 percent of active cases are reported with no origin at present.

We as people on the ground are well aware of this and the situation is extremely dreaded,” he stressed.

• Public Health Inspectors Union Head Upul Rohana, he told Daily Mirror that it is ridiculous to say that there is no community transmission in Sri Lanka