No move to get SL off red list by showing artificial drop in cases: Health DG

• The UK announced on Saturday (18) that Sri Lanka would be removed from the red list of that country with effect from Wednesday 22

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

There were no moves to create an artificial decline in COVID cases in order to get Sri Lanka removed from the ‘red list’, senior medical official said.   

Director General of Health Services Dr.Asela Gunawardane addressing a news briefing yesterday vehemently dismissed reports saying that Sri Lanka reduced the number of PCR tests to create an artificial drop in cases so that it could be removed from the red list.   

“A country is not removed from the red list only considering the number of infections. There are other yardsticks based on which a country is removed from the red list. Transmission has slightly slowd in the community resulting in less admissions to hospitals, which is why there is a decline in COVID cases,” ,” he underscored.   
The UK Government announced on Saturday (18) that Sri Lanka would be removed from the red list of that country with effect from Wednesday (22).   

Sri Lanka has been in the red list since June 8,as part of a group of countries the UK Government has defined as particularly high-risk for new and emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.   

Director General of Health Services Dr.Asela Gunawardane addressing a news briefing yesterday vehemently dismissed reports saying that Sri Lanka reduced the number of PCR tests to create an artificial drop in cases so that it could be removed from the red list.   

“A country is not removed from the red list only considering the number of infections. There are other yardsticks based on which a country is removed from the red list. Transmission has slightly slowd in the community resulting in less admissions to hospitals, which is why there is a decline in COVID cases,” ,” he underscored.