Compliance with COVID-19 safety guideline by people reduced: Epidemiology chief

While saying that people have taken the COVID-19 safety guideline for granted, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera urged people to comply with COVID-19 regulations until risk factors are eliminated.

He said they had observed that the compliance with COVID-19 safety guideline by people has been reduced.

“If people are not adhering to the health guidelines, the authorities will even have to resort to legal measures to ensure that the public adhere to health safety rules,”

The Chief Epidemiologist thus emphasised the need to follow health guidelines, for instance, wearing masks properly and observing good hand hygiene, and maintaining physical distancing, especially in public transport and social gatherings. There is also a need to ensure these safety guidelines were being adhered to, especially with the reopening of schools and other establishments

Moreover, he said the health authorities were also taking measures to reduce the risk of community transmission from overseas arrivals by extending quarantine periods when an individual from a group undergoing quarantine tests positive.

Meanwhile, he said 50,000 to 60,000 Sri Lankans stranded in foreign countries are required to be brought back to the country. “There may be repatriates who contract the disease once they return home and after having completed the 14-day quarantine in the assigned centres,” he added.

Therefore, he requested the public should be vigilant at all times while adhering to the basic health safety rules. (Sheain Fernandopulle)