News

Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has tested positive for COVID-19, Parliament sources confirmed.

Abeywardena is the latest victim of the fast developing Parliament COVID cluster, with SLPP MP Akila Ellawala testing positive earlier this morning, and state ministers Dilum Amunugama and Jayantha Samaraweera having tested positive on Tuesday (25).

Previously, MPs Rohini Kaviratne, Amarakeerthi Athukorala, Kokila Gunawardena, Nalaka Bandara Kottegoda, Sarathi Dushantha Mithrapala, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam and minister Sarath Weerasekara tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Director-General of Health Services has confirmed 16 new coronavirus-related deaths for January 25, increasing the death toll in the country due to the virus to 15,346.

This includes 08 males and 08 females, according to the Department of Government Information.

Four of the victims are in the age group of 30-59 years and the remaining 12 patients are aged 60 years and above.

Sri Lanka Customs detected 16,000 kilograms of beetroot concealed inside two refrigerated freight containers in Colombo on Friday (29).

The stock of beetroot was imported to Sri Lanka illegally from Pakistan under the guise of importing potatoes.

Customs Spokesperson said the detection was made at the Customs Yard (Gray-Line 2) in Colombo and the stock was seized for further investigations.

Importers had declared to Sri Lanka Customs that the cargo comprised 53,000 kilograms of potatoes, however, upon inspection only around 44,000 kilograms of potatoes were discovered.

Officials said the value of the illegally imported beetroot is valued at over Rs. 3 Million.

Recently, traders from Colombo alleged that imported Beet Root was flooding the local markets at a time when authorities have not granted permission to import Beet Root to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Plant Quarantine Service has only granted permission to SriLankan Catering to import fresh vegetables, and NOT to any other establishment.

Sri Lanka Customs said that the Wattala-based importer has listed an Indian Company as the exporter, however, further inspection revealed that the stock of beetroot actually originated from Karachi, Pakistan.

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M.M.C. Ferdinando has resigned as chairman and board member of the Ceylon Electricity Board.

He has cited personal reasons for his resignation, effective from 01 February.

Ferdinando tendered his letter of resignation, dated 26 January, to president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

His resignation letter is reproduced below:

The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 17 coronavirus related deaths for January 27, increasing the death toll in Sri Lanka due to the virus to 15,386.

This figure includes 10 males and 07 female patients while one of the victims is below the age of 30 years.

Six of the deceased are between the ages 30-59 years while the other 10 are in the age group of 60 years and above.

The Ministry of Education said that reports have surfaced from across the island about students and teachers testing positive for COVID-19.

The Ministry said that it’s constantly monitoring the situation at hand, adding that it hopes to obtain the necessary advice from the Health Ministry on detecting COVID cases and taking necessary measures.

Besides, the Ministry has instructed all education authorities to follow the health guidelines issued.

Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr. G. Wijesuriya told News 1st that there is an increase in the number of children testing positive for COVID-19.

At the same time, Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said that a majority of COVID-19 patients currently being reported are those infected with the OMICRON variant.

He went on to note that the number of COVID-19 patients infected with the Delta Variant is also at a similar percentage to the Omicron Variant.

Dr. Hemantha Herath said that over 8,000 PCR tests are carried out daily and NOT all 800+ positive samples are sent for gene sequencing, adding random samples are sent for tests.

He further noted that 5,758 beds are being used at treatment facilities for COVID-19 while 62 ICU beds are also being used for COVID patients.

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Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has updated the guidelines on dealing with COVID-19 cases and their close contacts.

Thus, a person who has been fully vaccinated should not be subjected to home quarantine if they have no symptoms, even if they are Tier-One Close Contacts of an infected person.

They can carry out their daily activities according to the new normal lifestyle and a rapid antigen or PCR test is sufficient only if any symptoms occur.

Only the following groups are considered to have been fully vaccinated.

If you are over 20 years of age, you should have taken both doses and should have completed more than two weeks since the second dose. If one has passed over three months after taking the second dose, a booster dose is mandatory.

Also, according to the new guidelines, if you become infected after the second dose, a month’s gap from the date of infection is sufficient to receive the booster dose.

Children between the ages of 16-19 are considered to be fully vaccinated after obtaining both doses, and completing two weeks since the second dose.

Children between the ages of 12 and 15 are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving one dose.

All those who are not fully vaccinated and are considered as Tier-One Close Contacts will be required to undergo home quarantine for 7 days and will be referred for testing if symptoms occur.

Former cricketer Roshan Mahanama has resigned from the technical advisory committee on the development cricket in Sri Lanka.

Speaking to Ada Derana, the former ICC match referee said that he has decided not to continue in his role as a member of the Sri Lanka cricket advisory committee with effect from January 21 due to personal reasons.

The four-member Technical Advisory Committee had been appointed by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Namal Rajapaksa for the development of cricket in Sri Lanka, on February 05, 2021.

Chaired by former Sri Lanka batsman Aravinda de Silva, the committee also included former national cricket players Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara.

The committee had been tasked with working closely with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in order to uplift the standard of cricket both locally and internationally, thereby ensuring and inculcating a sustainable high standard of cricket in the country.

A Sri Lankan security guard at a residential compound in the Al Waab area of Doha, Qatar was shot dead yesterday (26) by a youth, Doha News reports.

The shooter was a young Qatari man who attempted to enter the compound, together with a female passenger in the same vehicle.

He was denied entry by the security guard for not presenting his ID.

He had then driven away from the compound before returning to shoot the security guard.

According to witnesses, the Sri Lankan and his colleague were shot more than once, and the former died at the scene.

The other security guard was rushed to hospital.

Police arrested the gunman almost immediately after the attack and he has now been referred to the public prosecutor’s office.

The gun used by him was unlicensed and an investigation is underway into how he obtained the weapon.

According to the compound’s residents, the deceased was a father of three and was due to return to Sri Lanka later this year, as his contract was coming to an end.

The local community is raising money to support the victim’s family.

Three jailers have been interdicted with immediate effect in connection with the recent death of a prisoners at the Kandurugas Ara open prison camp.

Prison Media Spokesperson Chandana Ekanayake stated that the jailer in charge of the camp, the sergeant jailer and the guard jailer have been interdicted.

The Prison Media Spokesperson Ekanayake added that further investigations are underway into the incident.

Sri Lanka’s Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa stated that the Prime Minister has undergone surgery.

“The PM was to attend an event in Gampola, but was unable to attend due to a surgery,” he told a gathering on Thursday (27).

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Association warned that there will be four-phase power cuts with effect from Monday (24).

Dhammika Wimalaratne, the Secretary of the CEB Engineers Association stated that if this fuel shortage continues, steps will be taken to cut off one hour of power on Monday (24) and about two hours of power off the next day.

Accordingly, the power cuts will be taking place between 6.30 and 9.30 in the evening, and under four categories. However, the Engineers’ Association stated that they have not finalized it yet, and if the total number of hours is taken, the power supply will be cut off for nearly two hours from Tuesday (25).