COVID resurgence hits country with highly contagious sub-variant

Three deaths on Sunday alone

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Director of Medical Technology Services, Dr. Anwar Hamdani, yesterday urged Sri Lankans to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible as a COVID resurgence had hit the country and the sub-variant of the virus was highly contagious.

Dr. Hamdani said that the new COVID sub-variant, BA.5 was extremely contagious and most immune-evasive coronavirus strain yet.

Three people died from COVID on 31 July and all of them are over the age of 60.

“The numbers are increasing and there are still people who have not been double jabbed. People should immediately take the vaccines, if they had not taken them,” he said.

Dr. Hamdani added that people must continue to follow good health habits and those who are over 60 and those with chronic diseases must be very careful.

“If you have elderly or weak individuals in your homes, you too need to be careful. For you it must be just the flu, but for someone else it can be death,” he said.

The Director of Medical Technology Services denied claims that the Pfizer vaccines, given as the fourth jab, are past expiry date.

“The public must not believe in rumours. We are not giving expired jabs and the COVID vaccines are safe. Billions of people have taken it,” he said.

He also said that Sri Lanka has taken all steps to prevent monkeypox from coming into Sri Lanka.