Contradictory figures on daily Covid cases due to delayed reports:Dr. Herath

• RAT test reports from private hospitals and on-field get delayed
• We do not receive data of the tests conducted on-field and private sector hospitals quickly compared to our laboratories
• Delayed data added to respective figures after being verified

By Ajith Siriwardana

Statistics on daily Covid cases had to be updated repeatedly as there was a delay in reporting data on positive cases that were identified through Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) performed on the field and in private sector hospitals, Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said yesterday. 

 He told reporters that data received by the Epidemiology Unit on Covid positive cases were being released on a daily basis and said that the delayed data received were added to the respective figures after being verified.
"We release the statistics as we receive them on a daily basis. The data that we receive after the relevant data, is added to the respective figures as we receive them after the verification process. Hence, we have to face allegations of hiding the data, unless we add up delayed data to the respective figures," he said.   Dr. Herath said even though the mechanism to collect data was successfully in place, there was a delay in receiving data on positive cases that were identified through Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) performed on the field and in private sector hospitals.

 "We do not receive data of the tests conducted on-field and private sector hospitals as fast as in our laboratories,'' he said.

• We release the statistics as we receive them on a daily basis. The data that we receive after the relevant data, is added to the respective figures as we receive them after the verification process
• We do not receive data of the tests conducted on-field and private sector hospitals as fast as in our laboratories