NEW COVID-19 TESTING METHOD BEING DEVELOPED

COLOMBO (News 1st): A new COVID-19 testing method is being developed to be introduced, which provides quick results as accurate as of the PCR test, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon, the Special Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) said. "Although it is too early to talk about the new COVID-19 testing method, once it is introduced it will be a huge breakthrough with regard to the containment efforts," Dr. Palitha Abeykoon told News 1st on Wednesday (Jan. 13). In an exclusive interview with News 1st, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon said, "Compared to Western countries, Sri Lanka has been successful in containing the COVID-19 pandemic." According to Dr. Abeykoon, in the Asian region, Sri Lanka and Thailand are the two countries that have most successfully contained the spread of the virus. To facilitate the vaccination process in Sri Lanka, a vaccination plan was prepared with a focus on the transportation of vaccines and how to vaccinate, he added. "Annually around 300,000 infants receive vaccines in the country; whereas, the COVID-19 vaccination should be conducted eight times of that on a daily basis," Dr. Palitha Abeykoon, the WHO's Special Representative pointed out.