GMOA: Country could be at tipping point with pandemic

by Rathindra Kuruwita

There were signs that COVID-19, which was concentrated in Colombo, was slowly spreading to other parts of the country, The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) Editor, Dr. Haritha Aluthge told The Island yesterday.

“During recent weeks, we have mainly focused on the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), but now we see the emergence of hotspots across the country.”

Dr. Aluthge said that the situation in Atalugama, Bandaragama was grave. The number of residents was low compared to the population in the Colombo city, but the case load was heavier there than in Colombo, he said.

“There are some clusters emerging in Kandy, Mahaiyawa and Bogambara and several parts of the Eastern Province including Akkaraipattu, Samanthurai and Kalmunai. There are also clusters emerging in Eheliyagoda, Puttalam and Galle.”

The GMOA official urged people to be careful and health officers to be vigilant during the coming festive season.

“We have reached the 30,000 patient mark. In some other countries this was the point of exponential growth. There are some people who worry about a similar scenario here, too.”