Several coronavirus sub-clusters have been reported from across the country since the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, health authorities said.
Public Health Inspectors (PHI) Association Secretary M. Baalasooriya told Colombo Gazette that sub-clusters were initially reported from the Piliyandala, Maharagama, and Pamunuwa areas.
He said thereafter more infected people were reported across the country, including from Kurunegala, Narammala, Allawwa, Gampaha, Colombo, Puttalam, Trincomalee and Jaffna after the festive season.
Baalasooriya said sub-clusters have also been reported from the garment sector, with infected individuals having already been detected at a few factories.
Twelve people from the Batuwatte area in Ragama and 26 individuals from Divulapitiya were found to have been infected after participating in various New Year related events.
Health authorities are conducting contact tracing and have isolated those who have been identified as close associates of the infected.
Two stores in the Pamunuwa apparel market in Maharagam have been closed, after two employees were found to have contracted the coronavirus. Nearly 22 of their close contacts have been identified and have been isolated.
Baalasooriya said they are receiving various reports of infected individuals from several areas, and as a result have commenced contact tracing and subjecting them to PCR tests.
Health authorities believe the impact of the lack of restrictions during the New Year festive season will be known over the next 1 to 2 weeks.
He said the lack of restrictions and behavior of the public during this period will result in a spike in Covid cases in the country in the next few weeks.
The PHI Association Secretary said that in a bid to contain the situation, the Health Ministry yesterday decided to increase PCR tests conducted per day to 15,000 tests. (Colombo Gazette)