While claiming that Sri Lanka is concerned about the increase of COVID-19 cases in the world as well as the neighbouring countries, Army Commander Shavendra Silva yesterday said that it is the main reason that Sri Lanka is adopting a strict quarantine process in place and will continue with it despite some opposition to it.
“We are very much concerned about the increase of COVID-19 cases in the world especially neighbouring countries and that is why we are always maintaining a strict quarantine process targeting arrivals to the country,†he said.
He also said that “there were some requests to relax the quarantine process, but we have to see the world development especially in the Asian region and we make a decision after going through the COVID-19 developments in other countriesâ€.
General Silva who is also the head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) also told Daily Mirror that all precautionary measures have been taken to prevent COVID-19 cases coming from overseas into society.
He also warned those who go to sea especially fishermen not to mingle with foreign individuals as it would be a threat to overseas cases coming into the country.
He said that recently the Sri Lanka Navy apprehended several overseas individuals in the Sri Lankan waters being COVID-19 positive. The Commander said that it is a very dangerous situation, although we have taken preventive measures to curtail the virus coming to the country through the airports and Ports, but there are possibilities of it coming via smuggled items as well as individuals.
The Commander also said that they will continue to carry out Random Antigen Test and PCR tests in hospitals in the western coast targeting those who are going to the seas.
Commenting on the COVID-19 situation after the festive season, the Army Chief said that authorities are closely monitoring the situation. “We are closely monitoring the situation during the next coming days, and would take appropriate measures depending on the situation,†he said.
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From the perspective of South Asia, India has the second largest number of coronavirus cases in the world, and its infection numbers are rising again. It's now reporting more than 100,000 cases in a single day, which is higher than the daily peak during last year's initial coronavirus wave. Neighbouring countries are also seeing cases rising, as they attempt to ramp up vaccination programmes which only started in the last couple of months.