No community spread yet, says Epidemiology Chief

• Rs. 60mn spent daily on PCR test  
• Slight decrease in daily cases but virus not yet contained

By Sheain Fernandopulle  

Sri Lanka has not yet reached the community transmission level by definition though COVID-19 cases reported from different parts of the country, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said yesterday.  

Addressing the media, he said some tried to stress the point that the country has already crossed the community transmission line and thus it has gone out of bounds.  
 “Until the recent past, the positive cases were confined to the Western Province, however, it can now be seen reported from other parts of the regions as well.   

“If positive cases are reported without its origin, it could then be identified as a community transmission. In other words, community transmission takes place when cases are reported with no links to the existing cluster. As of now, Sri Lanka has not reached a level of community spread,” he underlined.   

Therefore, he reiterated that though cases are being reported from different parts of the country, it doesn’t mean that it has gone to community transmission. Meanwhile, Dr. Samaraweera said though there is a slight decrease in the number of cases being reported daily, it does not mean the virus spread is fully contained.  

“Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to follow the health guidelines and restrict unnecessary journeys” stressed.  

• Though there is a slight decrease in the number of cases being reported  daily, it does not mean the virus spread is fully contained