COLOMBO(News1st): Around 300 persons in the Lankapura area in Polonnaruwa were directed for PCR tests last night, with the recent identification of a COVID-19 case from the area, the Ministry of Health stated.

Accordingly, 58 people have also been referred for PCR tests in the Hingurakgoda and Thamankaduwa MOH divisions.

1.3 billion rupees has been spent on PCR tests so far to diagnose COVID-19 patients, Director General of Health Services, Dr. Anil Jasinghe stated.

Around 162,000 PCR tests have been carried out so far, the Ministry of Health stated.

40,000 randomly selected individuals from the community have also been sent for PCR testing, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, Director of the Epidemiology Unit at the Ministry of Health.

Plans have been drawn to increase the number of PCR tests conducted daily from today onwards, He further added.

Meanwhile, The Ministry of Health stated the number of COVID-19 cases reported in the country has increased to 2,815, with the identification of a newly infected person yesterday.

Health officials confirmed that the victim was the wife of the COVID-19 case detected in the Lankapura area in Polonnaruwa.

At present 413 people are being treated at hospitals islandwide for COVID-19.

The number of people who recovered from the virus stands at 2,391.

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