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Urgent steps to be taken to prevent spread of Covid variant
18 Jun, 2021
Urgent steps are to be taken to prevent the spread of the Delta Covid variant in Sri Lanka.
Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi today instructed the authorities to isolated the area in Dematagoda where the Delta variant was detected and conduct further tests.
It was also decided to conduct tests on all those who came in contact with the people infected with the Delta variant.
The Health Minister has also instructed the heath authorities to conduct tests in other parts of the country for the Delta variant.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests were conducted today in the area in Colombo where the Delta variant of the coronavirus was first detected.
Over 150 PCR tests were conducted at 200 Watta, Aramaya Road in Dematagoda.
The area in Colombo where the Delta variant of the coronavirus was detected, has been under lockdown.
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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