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With medical professionals warning that Sri Lanka is heading for a COVID-19 calamity if tough preventive measures are not taken, the police began taking stern action against people who do not wear masks or do not wear them properly in public places. Here police officers are seen in Colombo’s Pettah area, carrying such a person [...]
Govt. reviews blanket ban on chemical fertiliser
The Finance Ministry has issued a gazette that, without completely banning the import of all agrochemicals, allows for some items to be brought in after May 6 this year subject to special import licence regulations. The gazette also effectively permits any shipments of agrochemicals that were seaborne on or before May 5 to arrive, be [...]
Medical experts urge President to impose travel restrictions or face disaster
Sri Lanka’s powerful medical professionals yesterday urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to immediately restrict the movement of people across the island, stopping short of recommending a country-wide lockdown to avoid having to impose curfews later, as reports came in of a surge in COVID-19 cases. Worried about an impending disaster, four premier medical groups warned in [...]
Lanka begins using Sinopharm vaccine
Sri Lanka yesterday put into use the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine by vaccinating more than 300 people in Panadura amidst plans to either import or seek a further donation from China, as the COVID-19 situation worsened. Dr Sudarshini Fernandopulle, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control, told the Sunday Times they hoped [...]
No mixing of coconut oil
The Consumer Affair Authority (CAA) has banned blending of edible coconut oil with any other oil. A gazette notification to this effect was issued by CAA Chairman Maj.Gen. (Retd.) Shantha Dissanayake on Friday night. As per the gazette, all importers, refiners, manufacturers, stockists, packers, distributors and traders of edible coconut oil sold in bulk or [...]
Indian variant found in one patient here
Genetic sequencing performed this week has found the Indian variant of the COVID-19 virus in one sample sent by a private facility in Colombo, the Sunday Times learns. “The sample is from a person who has come from overseas,” said Prof. Neelika Malavige, the Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the [...]
Govt. proposes to borrow more to repair pandemic-hit economy
The Government is seeking Parliamentary approval to borrow more funds to repair the pandemic-hit economy by amending the ceiling rate of government guarantee to fifteen percent from current ten, according to a bill submitted to the House this week. The bill submitted on Wednesday by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as Minister of [...]
COVID treatment centre in Puttalam
A private education institution is being tuned into a COVID-19 treatment centre with 800 beds under the supervision of Director Health services for the Puttalam district, Dr Dinusha Fernando. The army is assisting the project. Pix by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
Rs. 206 m funds misused by co-op set up to empower farmers: Audit report
A Polonnaruwa co-operative society, set up during the previous Government to empower small-scale and middle-scale rice farmers and break the rice price-fixing oligopolistic system in the country, drew a staggering Rs. 206 million of state funds. The funds were misused without following any proper mechanism, an audit report recently revealed. The audit report compiled by [...]
Crowds and events still the norm, despite Health DG’s instructions
A week after the Health Services Director General issuing Alert Level 3 warning to restrict activities and functions, people are yet to grasp the grim nature of the pandemic as jammed packed office trains, closed-door private parties, crowds at beaches and clothing shops filling with Ramadan shoppers’ are still the norm. The Health Service DG [...]
It’s critical to protect oneself against COVID-19 before we get to a point of no return
Prevention of COVID-19 is critical, said a senior clinician, urging that everyone including the authorities should realize that whatever facilities Sri Lanka has can reach saturation at a certain point. Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID or IDH), Angoda, stressed that it is happening in India. They [...]
SLMC on new medicines for COVID-19
The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) has informed its registrants that before anyone makes claims on the discovery of new medicines for COVID-19, they should have those medicines evaluated and approved by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). “The SLMC may initiate appropriate disciplinary action as per the Medical Ordinance on practitioners who fail to [...]
How do we move forward: All stakeholders must decide now
With Sri Lanka being at a critical point right now, it is essential for all relevant stakeholders, health, economic and others to take key decisions as to how we should move forward, said the Head of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Prof. Neelika Malavige. Pointing out that this is [...]
If you get COVID-19 and have to stay home for some time
Multiple factors could lead to COVID-19 affected people having to stay at home for some time – especially those who are asymptomatic (without symptoms) or mildly symptomatic. These factors include space being limited in treatment facilities which is being addressed by opening up more areas to accommodate them, said Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, [...]
‘Stringent movement curbs, a must’
Bring in stringent movement restrictions between districts, to close this tap of COVID-19 infections at least now, warned the former Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe yesterday. Dr. Abeysinghe who is the President of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL) said that the essential primary measure is to curb the huge number of [...]
COVID-19 and private sector hospitals and ICCS
Around 30-50 people with COVID-19 are detected in each medium to large private hospital per week currently, while all the intermediate care centres (ICCs) run by some of these hospitals are filled to capacity, said a high-level official in this sector on Thursday. The President of the Association of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes (APHNH) [...]
Experts warn outright ban on fertilisers would cripple farmers and harvest
Rice production could drop by almost half in the next Maha season due to the outright ban on agrochemicals, a former top industry expert warned, as debt-ridden farmers pleaded for a phased cessation of fertiliser and agrochemical use. Vegetable prices will increase towards the end of the year and the country’s rice production would be [...]
This call centre is inundated with calls from frightened COVID-stricken patients
The phones ring all the time, sometimes even at night. The majority of callers–helpless, scared and desperate–plead for an ambulance or for a “centre” they can go to after testing positive for COVID-19. The Sarvodaya emergency relief hotline is just over a week old. It already takes more than one hundred calls a day from [...]
Doctor’s appeal on FB brings generous donations to set up COVID treatment centre
With Covid-19 cases surging in many parts of the country, health officials are scrambling to find beds to accommodate the large number of patients who test positive on a daily basis. Rather than wait for the Government to come up with the funds and equipment necessary for such centres, many officials are using social media [...]
Be ready with a ‘grab and go’ bag that answers all needs
“Keep an emergency ‘go bag’ ready at all times. Have cleaning supplies packed and ready. Pack bedlinen, a pillow, towel and clothes that are easily washed for reuse. Take coffee or whatever you want to drink that is warm. Take your medicines – don’t expect to be able to source them at quarantine centres as [...]
28,000 community police officers to keep neighbourhood watch
A Community Police contingent of 28,000 is to work out of Grama Niladari offices rather than Police stations to resolve minor neighbourhood disputes and counsel wayward youth before issues escalate into bigger proportions, according to the Government’s newest plan to nip local-level problems in the bud. These community police officers will come under a new [...]
Vegetable prices spike after farmers turned away from Dambulla Economic Centre
An increase in vegetable prices is predicted in the coming weeks as the country’s largest economic centre continues to be closed amidst growing concerns of COVID-19 spreading in public markets and economic centres. Farmers and traders allege the Government’s inability to take immediate remedial measures will result in both farmers and consumers facing losses, shortages [...]
In 2004 she left for India to escape the war here, but last week, she fled India to escape covid
In 2004 the then 17-year-old newly married Munsai Ranmugam together with her husband took a flight to India to escape the woes of Sri Lanka’s separatist war, but last week she together with her children took a risky boat ride to return to her home country to escape the raging COVID-19 pandemic in India When [...]
Kandy three-wheelers to be regulated
The 5,000-strong three-wheeler drivers in the Kandy Police Division would come under one umbrella, with the computerising of their parking areas and their names and photographs. This is a two-prong approach, Kandy Division, Superintendent of Police (Traffic), D C D Illangakoon, told the Sunday Times, in having a ‘tab’ on the activities of these three-wheelers, [...]
Olympic medal winner seeks Govt help to free father from Andaman jail
Youth Olympic medalist Parami Wasanthi is pleading with authorities to help secure the release of her father who has been imprisoned in the Andaman Islands after his fishing trawler drifted towards it. Parami Wasanthi Maristela Fernando won a Bronze at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina; becoming the first Lankan female youth [...]
Need more sign language interpreters to get hearing impaired people out of harm’s way
A dire shortage of interpreters has put the hearing-impaired community in harm’s way, especially at a time when communications matters most for them to stay safe from the covid pandemic. Their usual everyday challenges have been worsened by the outbreak of COVID-19 as they rely heavily on lip-reading to grasp a message. Now, with the [...]
Cambridge Exams cancelled; Switch to ‘Student Assessed Grades’
The British Cambridge Exams Board announced Friday that they are compelled to cancel current exams administered to school candidates, due to the uncertainty about a potential lockdown, Rob Low, Country Exams Director of the British Council, Sri Lanka said. Students sitting for the Cambridge Schools examination series were left confused after a message from the [...]
Prayers for our neighbour
The High Commission of India, on behalf of the Government and people of India, expressed its sincere gratitude to the clergy and people of Sri Lanka for their continuing prayers and well wishes for their brethren in India as a pandemic of epic proportions is fought. High Commissioner and officials serving at the High Commission [...]
Pick of the Pix
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Far from normal
Despite so many warnings, arrests show how people ignore health guidelines such as wearing masks, social distancing or handwashing. When Sri Lanka’s official number of Covid-19 deaths was reported at 764, it seems some people forgot there ever was a pandemic. Amid rising patient numbers in the country, wearing masks seem to be the most [...]
Kalubowila Hospital faces accusations of dog disappearance
Kohuwala police claim to be waiting until the Covid-19 situation is under control to inquire into a complaint by animal rights activists that several dogs in the Colombo South (Kalubowila) Teaching Hospital premises are missing and were possibly euthanised. “I was told by the Director that the hospital is full of Covid-19 patients, and that [...]
Lockdown to curb rapid virus spread – experts
A “lockdown” is the “only” answer to stem the COVID-19 tsunami engulfing the whole of Sri Lanka, otherwise the country is on the verge of tipping over and crashing into an abyss of a high number of deaths, warned experts from across the health spectrum. “We will go down the slippery slope like India. We [...]
They were to be a happy family of three, now there’s only sorrow
Hopes shattered, it is a lonely life he faces as he looks to the future. A few weeks ago, there was much to look forward to – after two years of marriage, he and his wife who were both in their 40s were overjoyed. Their life would be complete for his wife, Nilika Fernando, was [...]