Beware! Don't avoid PCRs - police media spokesman

Sri Lanka police media spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana warned today to the persons who ignore summons for PCR tests, especially in isolated areas. 

He said that police had reports about the persons who had avoided PCR tests which were prescribed to them by the health authorities.  

The police media spokesman said that persons who avoid prescribed PCR tests could be penalized under the quarantine regulations. 

Our sources from some isolated areas in Colombo city said that some people had run away from the health officials who came for random PCR tests.

Sri Lanka spends over Rs. 70 billion for COVID-19 operations - Prime Minister

Sri Lanka government has so far spent about Rs. 70 billion for tracing contacts, quarantine, pilot tests and welfare, the Prime Minister and Minister of  Finance Mahinda Rajapaksa said in the parliament at the Second Reading and the Committee Stage Debate on the Appropriation Bill 2020.

Sri Lanka has increased the number of hospital capacity treating the COVID-19 patients to 17 and the number of ICU beds for 600, the Prime Minister said. The capacity for conducting PCR tests has been increased from 7,500 tests to 10,000 tests per day. 

One test costs around Rs. 6,000 and daily expenses for PCR tests have exceeded Rs. 50 million. The government bears a heavy cost for food and welfare of the persons who undergo a 14-day quarantine.

The government also bears the costs of Rs. 5,000 allowance paid to the people who lost livelihood due to lockdowns and the expenses of the public officials who engage in COVID-19 related activities, the Prime Minister stated.  

According to Health Promotion bureau statistics, a total number of PCR tests performed in Sri Lanka so far is 627,011. Over 15,000 cases have been reported by now and over 10,000 of them have recovered and discharged from hospitals. 

Sri Lanka quarantined over 100,000 persons including more than 40,000 expatriate Sri Lankans who returned to the island. 

The story behind the '22nd COVID-19 death' in Sri Lanka

The 22nd COVID-19 death of Sri Lanka was diagnosed after a PCR test conducted posthumously. The 27-year-old man was found hanging from the roof of his house in the early hours of Saturday, October 31. The man was dead when he was admitted to Panadura hospital. The PCR test conducted after his death was found positive later. 

The youth is suspected addicted to drugs. He lived in Wekada village in Panadura. People who gathered in his house after he was found committed suicide are considered associates and PCR tests are to be conducted. 

The deceased showed no specific symptoms of COVID-19, the family says. No COVID-19 positive persons were reported in the village previously. 

Help people who want psycho-social support:

- National Mental Health Helpline 1926

- Sumithrayo: +94 11 2 682535/+94 11 2 682570 

- CCCline: 1333 (toll free)

Sri Lanka in a PCR crisis; Lateral Flow Antigen Test proposed

Sri Lanka's Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Editor Haritha Aluthge said that there are around 20,000 PCR samples in the laboratories.

As a result of the situation, the reports are delayed up to one week and during that period, some of the infected persons associate many others.

Meanwhile, a PCR machine in Colombo East Base Hospital in Mulleriyawa hospital broke down and a Chinese technician was brought to Sri Lanka to repair it. The technician had PCR tests before leaving China, after arriving in Sri Lanka and works under strict quarantine regulations wearing protective equipment. 

The laboratory of Colombo East hospital was declared open in June 2020 with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank. The new lab had a capacity of performing 500 tests for 12 hours.

Dr. Mahen Kotalawala, Clinical Microbiologist and Infection Prevention Professional who works in Kandy hospital says that Sri Lanka must start Lateral Flow Antigen Test in which the protein antibodies in the infected person’s blood is tested. It is a low-cost field test that brings results faster, the specialist highlighted. 

"We need about 5,000-6,000 PCR tests carried out daily. It is very costly, and the tests delay. The person associates others during the period between the PCR is tested, and the report is received. If the person is positive, he or she might have spread the virus to many others. Earlier, we received reports within 24 hours. Public Health Inspectors and Army took necessary actions fast. When the number of cases is high, there are practical issues," Dr. Mahen Kotalawala said in an interview with Mawbima newspaper. 

(Photo credit to Time) 

Sri Lanka's JVP demands government to reveal the proposals, agreements and rejections arrived at the discussions with Pompeo

Sri Lanka's leftist People's Liberation Front (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Disanayaka demanded the government to reveal the proposals, agreements and rejections arrived at the discussions between the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinesh Gunawardane. 

Addressing a press conference held in the party headquarters, JVP charged the US was trying to include Sri Lanka in its military strategy of the group of four countries, US, India, Japan and Australia. Meanwhile, the party criticized China also for pushing Sri Lanka into a debt trap through wasteful mega development projects. 

Criticizing the government leaders whose family members are US citizens, the JVP leader demanded the government not to let Sri Lanka become a football of the power games of international superpowers.

JVP criticized both former government led by the United National Party and the present government for proceeding with SOFA, ACSA and MCC agreements with the US. The JVP leader stated that these agreements are related to national security, property and the future. 

Speaking about the COVID-19 crisis, JVP criticized the government's inaction before the second wave of the coronavirus attack. Anura Kumara Disayanaka pointed out that the government had removed key health officials and kept positions like Director-General of Health for a long time vacant until the second wave. He said that the government did not make ready the health infrastructure for a possible second wave of COVID-19.

JVP urged the government to be more responsible about the crisis, to increase the number of PCR tests, to minimize the time taken for the reports, to provide equipment and to protect the vulnerable health and other officials. 

He urged the government to increase the capacity of the health sector to fight the pandemic and to help the affected people using the huge COVID-19 fund, raised recently if it had taken an informed decision not to lock down the country as indicated by the President. 

17% PCR tests of randomly selected persons in Colombo proven positive

Colombo Chief Medical Officer of Health Ruwan Wijayamuni said that 937 of 5,267 PCR tests of randomly selected persons in Colombo proved positive, reported The Lankadeepa Sinhala daily. 

The report further said the doctor had told that a part of these COVID-19 cases is connected to Brandix and Peliyagoda fish market clusters. 

The percentage is over 17%. 

(Photo credit: socialnews.xyz)