The Ministry of Health says that a decision has been taken to direct COVID-19 infected patients to treatment facilities or intermediate care centres closest to their residences, for the necessary treatment.

The decision has been taken after considering the severe stress that affects individuals and their families when they become infected with the virus.

The decision was taken during the meeting of the Special Action Task Force Review Committee which was held this morning (17), chaired by Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchci and attended by State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Sudarshani Fernandopulle.

The committee has also taken the following decisions:

• To provide necessary medical equipment and assign health staff including doctors and nurses to the treatment centres currently being constructed by various government and non-government organisations, apart from the Health Ministry. 
• To direct staff from hospitals and health centres with extra staff to these COVID treatment centres. 
• To accelerate the process of importing stocks of vaccines necessary to administer the second dose of COVID vaccines.
• To increase Rapid Antigen testing in the field parallel to PCR testing for identify COVID-19 infected patients.