(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Sri Lanka health officials say that although the highly transmissible variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus that is currently spreading in the UK, has been identified in Sri Lanka, its impact is minimal.
Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva, Secretary to the State Ministry of Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention, said the new UK Covid variant has not spread enough to lockdown the country or close any region.
Head of the National Operations Center for Prevention of Covid Outbreak and Army Commander General Shavendra Silva stated today that the new strain of the Covid virus that is spreading in Britain has come to Sri Lanka from Cyprus, Jordan and Dubai. Sixteen people have been found infected with the new Covid strain in Sri Lanka and 13 of them have been found in quarantine centers.
Dr. Chandima Jeewandara, Director, Institute of Allergy and Immunology and Cell Biology, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, said it was important to test samples of infected people currently in quarantine centers.
Meanwhile, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva further stated that 26 variants of Covid virus have been found in the country so far.
