Revisit COVID strategies, urgent request by Community Physicians

COLOMBO (News 1st); The College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka has called on authorities to revisit the strategies that are being implemented to combat COVID-19 in the country.

In a statement, the medical body insisted that the country needs real-time data for dynamic strategies based on the pandemic situation.

They pointed out that testing must be carried out based on a need-based scientific method and that valid cost-effective alternative methods need to be explored in testing.

The statement emphasized that restrictions on inbound travellers to the country should be revisited and that new quarantine measures at ports of entry are made more stringent to prevent the entry of new strains.

The College of Community Physicians said that a proper system of patient isolation, including patient care at home and a monitoring mechanism, must be implemented in the country as well.

The medical body noted that a shared information platform where data on the contacts of any positive cases could be entered by all engaged in contact tracing would expedite the process.

The College of Community Physicians also called for a vaccination strategy aimed at preventing deaths and hospitalization by prioritizing older age groups and individuals with various ailments.