The country is due to receive 100,000 antigen test kits for expedited COVID 19 detection next week from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Pharmaceutical Production and Regulation State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana yesterday told the Daily News. Sri Lanka has managed to get its first shipment of 100,000 COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic test kits this month.

The Ministry of Health is due to use these antigen diagnostic kits to screen the public for rapid corona virus detection, which will take about less than 30 minutes, according to Health Ministry sources.

Meanwhile , the World Health Organization efforts of developing a COVID 19 vaccine and treatments for the pestilence had yet to be finalized, and research of Western and Chinese scientists have ended phase one and two of their clinical studies in the treatment of COVID 19 pestilence, Pharmaceutical Production and Regulation State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said.

He said this on being asked by us whether Sri Lanka has received any medicine from WHO to be distributed among the Corona patients and for the safety of those who have not yet been affected by the virus.

He said that the World Health Organization has agreed to agree to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to 20 percent of Sri Lanka’s population.

Whether the country gets it or not, depends on the outcome of the clinical research, upon which the WHO will determine their subsequent action, he pointed out.