Sheain Fernandopulle Courtesy The Daily Mirror

While the country moves back to normalcy with schools, universities and companies re-opening, COVID -19 cases are simultaneously increasing, making the next few weeks extremely crucial and challenging in controlling and preventing the virus, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera warned today.

He told the media that people would have to act with a sense of responsibility in the coming weeks if they were to prevent a devastating situation.  

A huge responsibility lies on people as to how they should abide by the health guidelines when they venture outside,”

“Anyway, we will have to face the music for the irresponsible behavior of people during the festive season taking the health rules for granted. Consequently, several clusters of COVID-19 cases are being reported from different parts of the country,” he stressed.

However, we are not too late to prevent huge clusters from emerging in the country. What people have to do is to restrict unnecessary movement and strictly follow the health guidelines. If we failed to do so, it would again badly affect our economy, education of students and our day-to-day activities,” he added.

He also requested people to immediately seek medical treatment whenever COVID symptoms emerged and to refrain from mingling with society.

Meanwhile, he said the second dose of the COVISHILD vaccine would be given to the recipients of the first dose from the first week of May.