By Chaturanga Samarawickrama   

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has requested the Health Services Director General to recall the COVID technical committee, make it compulsory for people to wear face masks when entering high-risk areas and to make the public aware of the possibility of another COVID wave due to the spread of the COVID-19 omicron new subvariant, BA.5, around the country, including in Sri Lanka.  

Addressing the media GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said the new COVID-19 Omicron subvariant has a vast spread around the country and positive cases relating to the variant have been increased by 30%.   

“65% of the COVID positive cases reported in the US were related to the new subvariant. Now that it is being reported from various countries in the world, including India and China. Most areas in China have been locked down due to the vast spread of the virus. But we still do not know whether the new subvariant has entered into our country, “he said.   

Therefore, the GMOA has requested the Health Services Director General to resume the COVID control centre activities immediately and to spread the information among the public. Dr. Aluthge also requested to recall the technical committee to implement the technical recommendations, such as wearing face masks to control the situation.  

“In most countries, wearing face masks has been recommended in high-risk areas, but the situation in our country is different.” Therefore, the GMOA requested the Health Services Director General to make it compulsory for people to wear face masks when entering high-risk areas such as hospitals, when using public transport, at large public gatherings, and where people with suspicious COVID symptoms such as runny nose, fever and cough, “he said.   

Considering the experiences around the world, getting the COVID vaccine is the most positive and essential procedure to prevent the virus. The Disease Control Centres in the US and the UK have recommended the elderly community to get two booster vaccines, he said.  “We do have sufficient Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine stocks, but it is sad to say that those vaccines are to expire within the next two weeks,” Dr. Aluthge said.   If the country is heading to another COVID pandemic situation by September, we will not have enough vaccines to control the situation.