COLOMBO (News1st): A medical officers body has urged authorities to prevent more COVID-19 clusters from emerging in the country, warning it could cause a breakdown in the healthcare system.

“It is important to map the areas from which COVID-19 patients are being detected,” Dr Haritha Aluthge, the general secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association said on Friday.

He pointed out that most of the recent infections were from the community while only a few were from quarantine centres, signalling that the virus persists in the community.

“If the virus reaches the community transmission stage, we won’t be able to protect the elders,” Dr Aluthge insisted.

He warned that the number of deaths would increase if the virus starts spreading among the community and that healthcare workers may also be exposed to the virus.

Meanwhile, the GMOA secretary also said there is no possibility that the COVID-19 virus can spread through the fish that was sold at the Peliyagoda fish market, at which infections had spiked.

“According to the latest research carried out globally, there is no need to fear a situation of that nature,” Dr. Aluthge noted.

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