Working under the new normal is not going back to the old normal that existed before the arrival of Covid-19. Therefore, all first contacts who are fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms of Covid-19 should work wearing masks properly and keep at least a one-metre distance from one another. They should wash their hands often, Deputy Director General Health Services (DDGHS), Dr. Hemantha Herath said. He told a press briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau in Colombo on Friday that even if a person takes two or more boosters he or she should not ignore health guidelines and work the way they did before March 2020. All those who took the booster should strictly follow all basic health guidelines, all the time.
Dr. Herath said that since there can be a large number of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients with the Omicron variant in Sri Lanka at present, people could celebrate the New Year in April only if they strictly follow all health guidelines at all times.
The health sector has only around 2,500 health officers who are authorised to implement the law and they are engaged in several duties. Therefore, they cannot be deployed as guards 24x7 to monitor whether people follow health guidelines, he added.