Covid-19 Spike in cases can be expected after New Year , but no third wave

• The Chief Epidemiologist decried large public gatherings in violations of health guidelines
• Increased public movements during the Christmas season led to the  eruption of multiple new clusters, and the same could be expected after the Sinhala and Tamil new year​

The number of cases identified from the community in the overall context was marginal 

By Kelum Bandara

A rise in the number of Covid-19 cases can be expected after the festival but it cannot be viewed as the emergence of a third wave, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said yesterday.  

Dr. Samaraweera told Daily Mirror the number of cases spiked after Christmas in December, last year, but it could not be considered the emergency of another wave. He said the increased public movements during the Christmas season lead to the eruption of multiple new clusters, and the same could be expected in terms of the April new year.  

The Chief Epidemiologist decried large public gatherings in violations of health guidelines.  

Asked about the discovery of more than 200 cases a day, he said it was due to the high number of infections being reported from the Jaffna district.   

He said the number of cases identified from the community in the overall context was marginal.  
“Most cases are from those under quarantine,” he said.   

He said the health authorities had a grip on the pandemic situation to a certain extent at the moment. 

• Discovery of more than 200 cases a day, was due to the  high number of infections being reported from the Jaffna district

Our Page one lead story yesterday – PHI’s warn that a third wave is expected to hit the country in May as the people were grossly disregarding health guidelines.