Despite various rumours and social media reports on the spread of the virus, the Epidemiology Unit attached to the Ministry of Health still confirms that Covid-19 in Sri Lanka has not yet entered the community transmission level.
Chief Epidemiologist, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera told the media that the authorities are capable of tracing the source of all Covid-19 cases and it is a clear sign to say that the virus has not entered the community. Covid-19 patients found at the Peliyagoda fish market are also directly linked to the Minuwangoda main cluster according to the Chief Epidemiologist.
Following the information received by officials with regard to the connection between the Minuwangoda cluster and the Peliyagoda Fish Market, random PCR tests were conducted at the market and 237 Covid patients had been found by last Thursday. Currently the Peliyagoda sub cluster has expanded to over 700 cases.
“It is indeed a large number of people,” Dr Samaraweera said.
He said, “The significance of the Peliyagoda fish market is that it is a place where people around the country visit. We face a serious challenge in identifying all contacts and quarantining them. But the Government is all prepared for that.”
WHO guidelines
He also said that under the WHO Covid guidelines, Sri Lanka is not yet considered as a country with community transmission of Covid-19.
“Of course, we have to be frightened about the situation. When the cluster is huge and is spread across the country we might fail to detect all the contacts of the cluster.
There is also a danger of the disease spreading without our knowledge. It would lead to a situation where we cannot trace the source for many patients. That is the community transmission level where we declare the virus has spread across society. But at present, we are capable of finding the origin of all patients,” he said.
Information
The Secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) Dr. Senal Fernando accused the Epidemiology Unit of not sharing information needed for the efficient mapping of the spread of the virus.
“We have informed the Minister of Health too.
“We have to accelerate the mapping. Only then, can we predict areas subjected to the spread of Covid -19,” he said. He also highlighted the importance of imposing zonal lockdowns as fast as possible to prevent the virus entering society.
“In the past, we discussed the Navy and Kandakadu clusters. But today we have to talk about sub-clusters created through the Minuwangoda cluster in different areas. It is a clear indication that the danger of Covid is greater than it was the previous time,” Dr Fernando said.
The GMOA has identified five districts, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Kalutara, Colombo and Kegalle as high risk districts. Fifty-two areas in these districts are now under to quarantine curfew and travel restrictions.