COLOMBO, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A total of 12,024 new COVID-19 cases were recorded across Sri Lanka within the 10 days starting from Jan. 30 as health experts warned of a rise in the infections with the Omicron variant of the virus, according to health ministry officials on Thursday.
Ministry officials told Xinhua majority of the infections were reported in the capital Colombo, with most of them suspected to carry the Omicron variant.
Officials said that the COVID-19 death toll is also on the rise in the South Asian country.
Current hospitalizations are lower compared to the situation in the previous wave caused by the Delta variant, health officials said, attributing this to majority of the Sri Lankan people being vaccinated.
Sri Lanka has recorded 623,248 positive COVID-19 cases with 15,962 deaths since the pandemic began in the country in March 2020. ■