Weekly reported COVID-19 death rate increased by 28%

The weekly infected COVID-19 patient rate increased by nearly 12% while the weekly reported death rate increased by nearly 28% during the past week, Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) pointed out.

In a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the AMS stressed the importance of stricter measures in carrying out travel restrictions to curtail this pandemic further, as the healthcare facilities are getting overwhelmed with staggering number of symptomatic cases and the number requiring oxygen.

Meanwhile, they stressed that a clear and firm Vaccination roll out policy should be issued by the Ministry of Health and said it should be made public by them to restore the confidence of the general public.

"Power of vaccine roll out should be vested in the Department of health services and law enforcement authorities should be called to monitor its implementation with stringent conditions. No one should be allowed to violate this vaccination policy," they said in the letter.

They also said due priority should be given to immediate family members of all the front-line health care workers throughout the island in order to maintain uninterrupted health care services as well as to mend their wounds caused by preferential vaccination in the recent past.

"We are also of the opinion that certain amount of vaccines should be available in the government hospitals for needy patients to be used on the strict recommendation of the relevant medical specialists," they added. (Sheain Fernandopulle)