The Covid Task Force has requested private hospitals to submit proposals on operating treatment centres for coronavirus patients.
Head of the Task Force Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva said private hospitals have been requested to consider functioning Covid treatment centres either in a specific hospital or in a luxury hotel.
The Army Commander said three such proposals fulfilling required requisites have been reached at the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 (NOCPC).
He further said the request was made from private hospitals after considering the large number of requests submitted to the NOCPC by the public.
Commenting on the isolation process, the Army Commander said the isolation strategy has been adopted by the government striking a balance between preventing transmission of the virus and functioning socio-economic activities in the country.
Explaining the progress of lifting the isolation status of apartment complexes, Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva said 10 apartment complexes have already been released from the isolation process.
“Rapid Antigen tests and PCR tests are being conducted for one of the members of each family. All the members of the families will be subjected to Covid19 tests if and when a single family member is detected with the virus during the initial screening,” he said.
The Army Commander further said this process has been implemented in 10 apartment complexes which were released from isolations up to yesterday, while two more apartment complexes have been included to the process from today.
The Head of the NOCPC said the isolation strategy existing at present focuses on isolating smallest units in the society.
Except in the Colombo district, isolation of areas has been restricted to villages or parts of villages, while in the Colombo district, particularly in Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) area, there are still 9 Police Areas under isolation considering th level of transmission, he said.
Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva added that PCR and Rapid Antigen tests are being conducted on a daily basis in Board of Investment (BOI) enterprises to screen the employees for possible transmission of the virus.
The test protocol introduced by the Health Authorities show that 1% of the employees are to be subjected for PCR tests daily, or, 5% of the workforce to undergo PCR tests weekly.
He further said rapid Antigen tests are optional, and five private sector hospitals are conducting these tests.
The Army Commander mentioned this during a discussion with State Minister of Primary Health Services, Control of Epidemics and COVID-19 Sudarshani Fernandopulle and Medical Specialist & Director General of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawardena yesterday (15). (NewsWire)