Legal action should be taken against people and institutions that do not follow health guidelines to prevent Covid-19 and continue to ignore instructions by the Government and the health authorities, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said. He told a press conference at the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) in Colombo recently that health guidelines to prevent Covid-19 should be strictly followed by people and all state and private institutions until a vaccine is found for the disease.
But, it now seems that the fears of the Sri Lankan public have vanished while some institutions ignore the health guidelines putting Sri Lanka at risk.
Dr. Samaraweera said it was possible for a person who underwent the 14-day compulsory quarantine and got a negative PCR test result to develop Covid-19 again.
Therefore, the health authorities recommend another 14 days of home quarantine for them. But some people run away from quarantine centres putting the entire country at risk, while some visit the rooms of others at quarantine centres without following rules and regulations. Hence, we cannot rule out the possibility of Covid-19 in Sri Lankan society again.
Dr. Samaraweera said people should wear masks in public at all times covering their nose and mouth. People should keep a one metre minimum distance in public and wash their hands with soap and water for 30 seconds. A standard hand sanitiser should be used whenever soap and water are not available. This is the only way to safeguard Sri Lanka’s victory while other countries recorded deaths in large numbers, with overflowing ICUs and Coronavirus patients.
It is disconcerting to see some institutions now offering only soap or water for people.
It is the sole responsibility of Heads of Institutes to ensure that their institutions follow health guidelines all the time. Some organisations conduct huge public events which are not warranted. People, especially elders and those who suffer from chronic diseases should avoid going to crowded places, he added.