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Area where Delta variant was detected under lockdown
17 Jun, 2021
The area in Colombo where the Delta variant of the coronavirus was detected, has been under lockdown, health officials said.
Regional Epidemiologist at the Colombo Municipal Council, Dr. Dinuka Guruge said that the area has been under lockdown since last Saturday.
She said that random PCR tests were carried out in the area after they were notified of a suspicion that the variant was spreading in Colombo.
“We will be doing random PCR tests in Borella and other areas of Colombo city. If u have symptoms, please come to our sites. Will be letting you know the active PCR sites in the City of Colombo daily. We receive reports within 8-10hrs since the sample is taken,” she tweeted.
Dr. Chandima Jeewandara from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura had said earlier that the highly transmissible B.1.617.2 variant was detected from five samples obtained in the Dematagoda area in Colombo.
The Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the University said this was the first instance in which the Indian variant of the coronavirus has been detected from within the community in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Chandima Jeewandara said the Covid variant is 50% faster than the B 117 variant and is highly transmissible.
He further said the variant is more severe and evades one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.? (Colombo Gazette)
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