No islandwide lockdown, but appropriate measures will be taken - Army Chief

• Authorities trying to identify how far the new variant has spread 
• Health guidelines to be amended 
• Health officials warn the spread of new variant is ‘widespread’ 

By JAMILA HUSAIN  

There will be no islandwide lockdown imposed in Sri Lanka but discussions are ongoing over appropriate measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 variant which has entered Sri Lanka, Army Commander and Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19, General Shavendra Silva told Daily Mirror yesterday.  

Silva said that since the outbreak of the new variant overseas, local health officials were on alert and were cautiously monitoring the situation and were prepared to deal with the situation. Now that there had been cases detected in the country, authorities were trying to see how far it had spread and contact tracing was ongoing of the patients who had tested positive for this new variant.  

Silva said the best appropriate measures will be taken from preventing a further spread of this virus.   
“All these rumours around the country of a lockdown are false. However we will do what is most suitable and appropriate action will be taken in due course,” Silva said.  

He further said that authorities had received information of parties and gatherings being organised in and around the Western Province and the guidelines would be amended once again. The number of invitees for a wedding were also been looked into and a new set of health guidelines would soon be released.

  
Meanwhile, health officials said the spread of the new COVID-19 variant in Sri Lanka was ‘widespread’ as in several places, cases had been detected.   
Officials said while this new variant did not have a high mortality rate, it however was extremely contagious due to its high infectivity rate.