Prof. Malik Peiris reveals new COVID-19 prevention strategy

COLOMBO (News1st): A scientific approach to combat COVID-19 which involves a two-week countrywide lockdown has been published by medical experts. The scientific strategy to combat COVID-19 in the country has been formulated by Professor Malik Peiris attached to the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong and Prof. Kamani Mendis, a former malaria expert at the World Health Organization. The strategy had been devised following discussions with several epidemiology and disease control experts. The strategy published recently cautions that the current strain of the virus is spreading faster than previous waves of COVID-19 infections. The experts highlight the importance of a scientific approach in dealing with the pandemic as a strain of the COVID-19 virus detected in Indonesia has been identified in Sri Lanka as well. The document points out that the capacity of the health system to manage COVID-19 patients has already been exceeded, resulting in inevitable consequences of more avoidable deaths. It adds that small-area isolations, prohibiting inter-provincial travel, intermittent and short period lockdowns together with mild restrictions on human movement will not arrest this wave of the epidemic. While introducing different approaches, the experts have also outlined the economic impact of implementing these moves. The recommendations are;

1. All essential services to be functional.
2. A minimum number of grocery stores and pharmacies to remain open in every district.
3. A limited number of vegetable, fruit and fish/meat, bakery and other food delivery vehicles permitted to operate on the basis of permits
4. Restaurants able to prepare food for delivery on order, but not allow in-house dining.
5. Government departments deemed it essential, to keep an office open for a few hours a day and function with a skeleton staff on a roster basis.
6. Any organization or enterprise may allow its employees to work from home.
7. A person can leave home only for health need or any other emergency, or to purchase food supplies, but only one person can leave home at any one time for these purposes.
8. Gatherings of more than 4 people to be prohibited.
9. and Outdoors agricultural work permitted to continue.