Sri Lanka, May 30 -- The Government has stepped up its testing and surveillance efforts in the country in response to growing global concerns surrounding a newly emerging COVID-19 variant.

The Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday that Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing has been intensified in selected hospitals, particularly in urban and high-risk areas.

Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe said all Government hospitals have been instructed to enhance surveillance among patients exhibiting fever, cough, shortness of breath, and other respiratory symptoms. Special emphasis has been placed on early detection and isolation of suspected cases to prevent potential community spread.

"We are closely monitoring the global situ...