Eyebrows have been raised as to why the Government Information Department continues to refer to new COVID19 cases as those belonging to the Peliyagoda cluster when the University of Jayawardenapura has confirmed that the UK's B 117 variant is currently spreading in Sri Lanka.

Even yesterday, the Goevrnment Inormation Department, headed by Mohan Samaranayake, issued a statement categorizing all new COVID19 patients as those belonging to the Peliyagoda cluster.

However, when the UK's B 117 variant was first identified, the Peliyagoda cluster had already broken out in Sri Lanka.

The University of Jayawardenapura confirmed the B117 variant in Sri Lanka having examining virus samples obtained from three parts of the country.

Sri Lanka reported a record number of 1451 patients yesterday as the ICU capacities in government hospitals are rapidly filling up.