Sri Lanka vaccinates children as doctors warn of COVID surge

COLOMBO – Sri Lankan wellness authorities connected Friday began vaccinating children aged 12 to 15, arsenic the land nation’s apical aesculapian specialists warned of a question of COVID-19 infections successful the coming weeks driven by the omicron variant.

Under the caller vaccination program, children volition beryllium fixed a azygous dose of the Pfizer vaccine, said the wellness ministry. Earlier, children supra 15 could beryllium vaccinated.

The latest effort begins arsenic schools are acceptable to afloat reopen from Monday. Children were antecedently allowed to be schools successful 2 groups.

The determination besides comes arsenic authorities instrumentality steps to marque vaccination certificates compulsory to participate nationalist places.

According to wellness officials, 47 omicron cases person been detected truthful acold successful Sri Lanka.

The Association of Medical Specialists, which comprises the country’s apical doctors, pointed to a surge successful COVID-19 cases past April arsenic a informing “that past is repeating itself."

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Almost 15,000 radical died successful that outbreak.

“Shops and bars, (New Year's Eve) parties were jampacked,” the relation said successful a statement. “It is truthful inevitable that the omicron variant volition origin a monolithic question of corruption during the coming weeks.”

Last April's surge led to 2 abstracted lockdowns. The latest lockdown was lifted successful October and authorities person since gradually relaxed galore COVID-related restrictions.

At the highest past July, Sri Lanka reported much than 3,000 regular infections and much than 200 deaths. Daily infections are present astir 500, with less than 20 deaths.

The state has recorded 589,479 full confirmed cases and 15,065 deaths.

Life successful Sri Lanka has begun returning to mean with the partial lifting of restrictions connected restaurants, supermarkets, cinemas and weddings. But authorities person maintained strict restrictions connected nationalist transport and they discourage nationalist gatherings.

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Face masks and societal distancing successful nationalist are inactive mandatory and constabulary instrumentality ineligible enactment against anyone who fails to comply.

Nearly 64% of Sri Lanka's 22 cardinal radical person been afloat vaccinated, and astir 20% person received boosters.

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