Two-thirds of all Covid-19 deaths reported during the recent past were from those who had been half or not vaccinated, the Coordinator and Technical Services Director of the Health Ministry, Dr. Anwar Hamdani said. He told a press briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau in Colombo on Friday that if 70 percent of the people are fully vaccinated with the third (booster) dose of the vaccine, people can maintain the new normal without going by strict restrictions imposed in the past.
He said that it was the vaccination which brought the 200 and 250 daily Covid-19 deaths to 20 and less.
But, unfortunately now an increase of 30 percent of Covid-19 patients has been observed while there is an increase in the number of Covid-19 deaths by eight to 10 percent. The percentage of Covid-19 patients who depend on oxygen has increased by four to five percent while the number of ICU admissions had also increased by four to five percent.
Only around 39 percent of the people had taken the booster dose (Pfizer) , he added.