Steps taken to mitigate the spread of the Covid-19 in Sri LankaAs of 15 May 2020, 925 confirmed cases have been reported in the country with 9 deaths and 477 recoveries. Sri Lanka has fought so far against this virus with the extreme effort of Sri Lankan government and private services including Health, Security and Food and still struggling.
The health care system of any country can treat only a few patients. If the coronavirus spreads rapidly, there will be a large number of patients who will not get the services they need. Mitigation means slowing the spread of the virus, and attempting to limit its effects on public health services, public life and the economy. It is all about controlling the situation at a managable level. Sri Lanka has responded swiftly to early warnings of a new virus strain issued by Chinese and WHO authorities, and many Western countries have ignored, believed, and sometimes hoped that it was a problem for China.
Taking the initiative and acting proactively, prior to 27 January, the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka had instructed the Quarantine Unit at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo, to screen passengers for suspicious symptoms. On February 1, 33 Sri Lankan students and families were evicted from Wuhan and quarantined at a military base in Diyatalawa. Sri Lanka started to restrict the entry into the country. From the first week of March, passengers arriving from Italy, Iran and South Korea had to be quarantined within two weeks at one of the two facilities. On March 10, 186 people (164 Sri Lankans, 20 Italians and two South Koreans) were placed under Batticaloa quarantine. On March 11 with the investigation of first infected person Schools, universities and workplaces were closed. A massive awareness campaign was launched using radio, television and even personal phones. The Sri Lankan Army has established quarantine centers throughout the country and has been praised for its efficiency and excellent facilities. By March 23, the Sri Lankan Army had established forty-five quarantine centers in the country.
The virus covid-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to person , between people who are in close contact with each other (about 6 feet). Respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouth or nose of those who breathe in or breathe into the lungs.The outbreak of COVID-19 cannot be stopped, but it can be slowed by the implementation of social distance measures. Limiting human contacts reduces transmission speed. Therefore the Sri Lankan Government decided to activate the curfew with an intention of avoiding people’s gathering as a crowd.
Furthermore Sri Lanka admired the concept of Testing Early. Testing early focuses on early detection, minimizes further outbreaks and prompt treatment for those diagnosed with the virus. It is the key behind the low fatality rate of Covid -19. To quarantine the people who come from abroad , to lead the people who live in the country to social distancing and to maintain the economy of the country and to make slow the spreading of corona virus acting fast and testing early was very important. And also it helped to keep hospitals clear for the most serious patients
As the next step Sri Lanka government followed the method of contact tracing to slow down the spreading of coronavirus to the society. Contact tracing is the process of identification of persons who may have come into contact with an infected person and subsequent collection of further information about these contacts. Government introduced tools to diagnose the virus infected people. Those who had in contact had sent to self-quarantine or taken to quarantine camps Or closed the exposed area.
By 16th April 2020, Sri Lanka has been designated as the 16th high-risk country to be infected with the virus. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has been ranked as the 9th best country in the world for prompt responses to the virus.
The Japanese Government has commended the role of the military and Police in supporting the health authorities to combat coronavirus in the country. “We appreciate your efforts taken to control the spread of coronavirus,” Deputy Head of Mission of the Japanese Embassy Toshishiro Kitamura said when he met Defence Secretary Maj.Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne at the Ministry. Unfortunately the COVID-19 infection is suspected to have spread in the Welisara Camp near capital Colombo when officers came in contact with drug addicts infected by the virus during a raid. The sailors had gone home on leave, spreading the virus further.Somehow the rules have been tightened and the situation has been somewhat controlled after taking some to the quarantine and leading some to self quarantine.
On May 13 Sri Lanka named as most generous country during Covid-19 period. Popular international vlogger Nuseir Yassin has named Sri Lanka is one of the most generous countries during the coronavirus epidemic to help tourists stranded amid an economic crisis. Dr.Anil Jasinghe has mentioned that the prevalence of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka has been controlled by up to 90%,But it is too early to determine the exact date at which all restrictions can be relaxed. Further he said to the News first that There are currently no COVID-19 clusters in Sri Lanka, and all currently confirmed cases are in quarantine.
We Sri Lankans are a very nice nation. Due to the prevailing situation in the country With the loss of civilian life For those who are helpless due to curfew Motivation of the media institutions and many people evokes the generosity of the country.
However, if such correct steps are followed more the corona situation in the country can be quickly overcome and Sri Lanka can be in a better position than it was before with the reconciliation of nations.
Chrishel Warnakulasuriya
