Category: News

Four more COVID-19 related fatalities have been recorded in Sri Lanka, increasing the death toll to 638.

The Director General of Health Services said among the fatalities confirmed were an 18-year-old girl from Wattala. She passed away at a private hospital on Wednesday due to COVID pneumonia and heart complications.

A 35-year-old male from Nittambuwa also passed away on Wednesday at the Homagama Base Hospital due to COVID pneumonia.

Meanwhile, a 40-year-old male from Pannipitiya passed away yesterday at the Homagama Hospital after contracting the novel coronavirus.

Furthermore, a 71-year-old female from Maharagama passed away yesterday at the Kotelawala Defence University due to COVID pneumonia and several other health complications.

She was admitted to the hospital after exhibiting symptoms while self-isolating at home after arriving in the country recently.

Tuition classes, parties and public gatherings have been banned until 31st May with Sri Lanka being placed on Alert Level 3 following the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

State Minister for Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention Sudarshani Fernandopulle issued a new set of health guidelines valid until 31st May.

According to new health guidelines issued today, casinos, night clubs, spas and beach parties have also been temporarily banned.

Children’s parks, carnivals and musical shows are also banned while swimming pools must also be closed until 31st May.

Spas and day rooms as well as home stays are also not permitted to operate during this period.

Government and private offices have been told to operate with minimum staff while others work from home.

Supermarkets are allowed to accommodate only 50 percent of costumers at one time based on the space available.

Day care centres, preschools and schools are allowed to operate with only 50 percent of the capacity.

Weddings can be held with a maximum of 150 guests while funerals can have only 25 people at any given time.

The top Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka, called the ‘Maha Sangha’, have extended their support to the government on the Colombo Port City project.

A Presidential press release said that at the tenth meeting of the Buddhist Advisory Council here on Friday, the monks told the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that “a country should not remain in one place. It should endeavor to progress commercially towards success.”

However, in the light of the criticism of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, now before the Supreme Court for its determination on its constitutionality, the Maha Sangha emphasized that “the citizenry should be properly educated and clarified about the actual position, to remove their doubts with regard to the project in order to garner their support and accomplish the aims of the Colombo Port City project.”

State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal spoke about the project in-depth, enlightening the monks about its benefits both to the economy and the country.

“Expanding the landmass of the country and paving the way to new investment opportunities is a victory for the country. Instead of propagating falsehoods and opposing everything, we must unite to stand tall as a nation,” he said.

Commander of the Army General Shavendra Silva announced today (April 23) that there will not be any lockdowns in the island during this long weekend.

Addressing a special media briefing at the Government Information Department this afternoon, the Army Commander said no decision has been yet to lock-down the country.

However, he appealed to the members of the public to limit their travels and to stay home as far as possible.

The Army Commander also requested people to avoid large gatherings and not to organize any events that gather large crowds.

The general public has been urged to comply with the health protocols introduced to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.

Sri Lanka’s daily COVID-19 cases count is now on the rise with an uptick in the figures following the festivities of Sinhala and Tamil New Year last week.

The country detected 672 new positive cases on Thursday and 578 on the day before as the confirmed cases tally reached 98,722. As per Epidemiology Unit’s data, more than 4,000 active cases are currently under medical care at designated hospitals and treatment centres.

Chinese intervention in Sri Lanka’s Port City could pose a danger to the economic and security interests of both the island nation the region, opposition MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon (23), Fonseka expressed concern that the proposed and highly controversial Colombo Port City Economic Commission will allow Chinese business interests to influence the government.

“China’s defence officials are visiting Sri Lanka. We can see that the USD 1.4 billion Port City may come under China through the economic commission,” he said.

“There is a chance that Chinese interference may be a danger to our economy and security and also the region’s security, the way we see it,” he added.

A draft bill to set up a Port City Commission where the Board is to be appointed directly by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and has been exempted from a number of laws including contracts law has brought opposition from several quarters.

Nearly 20 petitions were filed against the bill last week in Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court. Opposition lawmakers, including Fonseka’s colleagues in the main opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB), civil society and other actors claimed that the proposed commission poses a challenge to the island nation’s sovereignty.

The possibility of non-nationals being appointed to the commission could end up with the fate of the people in the area being decided by foreigners, lawyers representing the SJB told reporters last week.

Related: Sri Lanka Colombo Port City Commission given undefined powers, equal opportunity denied: SJB

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has also said some of its provisions may be violating sections of the constitution dealing with the unitary state, overeignty of the people and fundamental rights.

Fonseka expressed fears today that the China-backed Port City will be run outside Sri Lankan law and outside the purview of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), the Urban Development Authority (UDA) or parliament.

“A few businessmen may try to run it through this commission. There is a chance Chinese businessmen will be appointed. It will be in their interest to keep the present government in power,” he said.

“The government will then forget about the people and start working for [these businessmen],” he added.

The retired Army chief said the SJB’s position is that Sri Lanka’s national assets should be managed under Sri Lankan law.

“It’s not like opening a bakery,” he said.

“We’re studying the [bill] in depth. The problem is not appointing a commission. There are plenty of commissions in the country, but they’re all governed by Sri Lankan law. This one, however, might not be,” he added.