Sri Lanka, which is now in its fourth week of a COVID-19 lockdown, is expected to gradually reopen on Tuesday (21), though health experts warn that the country is not yet out of the woods.
Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, State Minister for COVID Control, told reporters on Tuesday (14) that a decrease in daily cases and deaths has been observed since the “quarantine curfew” was announced on August 20.
“Regardless of what allegations are leveled, the lockdown has greatly aided,” she said.
There has been some criticism of the lockdown's strict enforcement, or lack thereof, with numerous reports of vehicles and pedestrians lining the streets across the island. Several times, photos and video of congested roads have been shared on social media.
However, the daily infection and death curves have dipped slightly, though approximately 2,500 cases are still reported every day. On Monday (13), 2,560 people tested positive for the virus, while 135 people died from the disease on Sunday (12).
As of Tuesday, there were 62,756 active cases being treated either in a hospital or at home.
“The government intends to gradually reopen the country next week while continuing vaccination and adhering to health precautions,” Fernandopulle said.
However, Dr Padma Gunaratne of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) stated that with over 2,000 new cases and nearly 150 deaths per day, Sri Lanka is not yet safe.
“As a country, we haven’t left the danger zone yet. We continue to find over 2,000 new cases per day, implying that there are at least 6,000 cases in the community,” she said.
“We are still in the danger zone. This is why it is critical that both the public and the government pay close attention to this and take all necessary precautions to avoid another wave,” she added.
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