News
Lanka monitoring the variants closely
All health measures should be followed to prevent the third wave of COVID-19 engulfing Sri Lanka, urged Health Services Director-General Dr. Asela Gunawardena.
This is the only way, he stressed, while assuring that the Sri Jayewardenepura University was performing genetic sequencing, thus keeping tabs on new variants.
The one and only centre where genetic sequencing is carried out is the university’s the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine.
Double mutants
Reports from Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour, India, said that a new and highly infectious strain of the coronavirus that has two mutations and can cause sickness in spite of the immunity developed by natural infection or vaccines has been detected there.
The ‘double mutant’ COVID-19 variant has reportedly developed with the L452R and E484Q mutations coming together. This is while India alone – the second most populous country (with 1.36 billion) after China – has found 771 variants from more than 10,000 samples collected from December last year.
These variants include 736 cases of the United Kingdom strain; 34 of the South African strain and one of the Brazilian strain.
Countries going into lockdown
To tackle the third wave of COVID-19:
India has suspended all international commercial flights coming into the country till April 30, while locking down five of its states (Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan)
Pakistan locked down some of its cities including Karachi, its largest city, while imposing a travel ban for those coming into Pakistan from 12 countries
Singapore has largely banned incoming leisure travellers, except from Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Vietnam, mainland China and Taiwan
France went into a month-long lockdown in 16 areas this week
Italy planned to impose a countrywide lockdown during Easter (April 3 to 5)
Brazil imposed a week’s lockdown on two of its largest cities
Hong Kong locked down a few densely-populated residential areas