Mar 23 (GV) This week, Chinese authorities heaped praise on ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, absolving him of the charge of disturbing public order. The rumour-monger has been declared a hero who fought bravely by the very system that persecuted him for warning about a new SARS-like virus. The exoneration came too late for the whistle-blowing doctor and for the 13,000 people in China and worldwide who had died of more..

Mar 23 (FT) The Govt is clearly passionately committed and genuinely engaged in tackling the pandemic sweeping the world. And we can all commend its proactive and concerted action. These efforts would be helped enormously if a specific strategy could be stated, with some indicated thresholds, so that businesses, especially medium and smaller size businesses, families and individuals, can at least try to plan. Communication is now commendably more proactive; more..

Mar 23 (ST) Although the country is under a weekend curfew to stop the spread of COVID-19, those engaged in essential services were seen carrying out their duties in some parts of the city. These included the street sweepers and garbage collectors. These unsung heroes and heroines continue with their tasks in spite of the risk of contracting the disease. With the country facing a severe shortage of masks and gloves, some of them make do with one glove, while more..

Mar 23 (SO) The motor vehicle industry has been plunged further taking the second hit after the devastating Easter attacks, from the current deadly virus that has dropped sales by around 80% since its outbreak early this year, motor industry officials said. The depreciation of the local currency against the Greenback and the sharp decline in the income of the people under the current situation in the country and elesewhere more..

Mar 23 (TM) Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) has recorded a considerable drop of 2.9% in value against the US dollar this year, mainly due to the sudden drop recorded in the LKR last week, according to Central Bank data. The US dollar went above Rs. 185 last week for the first time this year, with the increase in Covid-19 patients reported locally. Since 1 January 2020, the LKR had been hovering around Rs. 181 until the second week of this month. The currency started the year at Rs. 181.50 and more..

Mar 23 (ST) Just like the song Do Re Mi in the famous movie Sound of Music, let�s start at the very beginning (of the new coronavirus pandemic)� a very good place to start. Though that song has an ending, in the case of COVID-19, no one clearly knows when this would end, except that the disease may peter out when the European summer arrives since there is a fleeting chance that the virus is unable to spread on hot days. As for the headline of today�s column, it was borrowed from more..

Mar 23 (TM) Industry stakeholders lauded the Govt�s recent decision to grant a six-month moratorium for the repayment of loans obtained from banks and financial institutions, although an apparel sector leader stated that this moratorium alone would not revive the Covid-19-hit sectors. Govt�s decision was announced last Wednesday and was on top of the credit support scheme announced in January for MSMEs. more..

Mar 23 (DM) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) assured that the fuel supply is being done without any hindrance or shortage as an essential service. CPC Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe also said that �as there is ample stocks of fuel in storage, there is no need to rush to fuel stations the moment the curfew is lifted and stay in long queues for fuel.� During the curfew, measures have been taken to operate 480 fuel stations covering every police division to enable the operations of the essential services. more..

Mar 23 (FT) National Hospital emergency unit has seen an increase in the number of women coming for treatment, all victims of domestic violence. NHSL head nurse Pushpa De Soysa said the rise in numbers was seen in the past few days with the curfew in place to combat the coronavirus. �I have spoken to several of these women who come for treatment. They have been manhandled or beaten up by their spouses,� she said. In a positive development, she said there have been zero more..

Mar 23 (EN) SL has warned the public against taking Chloroquine, an-anti malarial drug which has been identified as a possible drug which can help Coronavirus patients recover faster as a preventive, while ramping up domestic production. �The medical supply division have given us a purchase order to manufacture 500,000 chloroquine tablets which was manufactured under 24 hours,� Uthpala Indrawansa, medical doctor who is Chair of SPMC said. more..

Mar 23 (USE) On March 19, Department of State issued a global Level 4 Health Advisory (Do Not Travel) advising U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the US should arrange for immediate return to the US, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel. more..

Mar 23 (FT) Colombo District Masjid Federation in consultation with the Trustees of the five Muslim Burial Grounds have laid down guidelines to be followed for burials in view of the spread of the coronavirus. The Federation said all participants for burials should be limited to 25 persons and Janaza prayers to be conducted at the closest Masjid to one�s residence till the situation improves. The list of participants at the funeral are to be submitted to the burial ground office containing names, more..

Mar 23 (AD) Govt has requested the entire nation to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued with the objective of preventing further spread of COVID-19 virus and safeguarding the well-being of the people. Prevention is the main instrument in combating this global health threat. Maintaining a social distance of at least of 1m when people are at public places such as markets, offices, bus and railway stations has been recognized as more..

Mar 23 (FT) Pakistan Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Qureshi held a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena today to discuss regional cooperation to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The two Foreign Ministers had a detailed exchange of views on the situation arising from the COVID-19 outbreak and ways to enhance cooperation to combat the threat posed by the rapid spread of the pandemic. Challenges faced by regional states and need for joint efforts more..

Mar 23 (EN) Among the four new cases of COVID19 detected in SL is a person who associated with the Switzerland-based Christian Pastor who conducted a service at the Philadelphia Church in Ariyalai, near Nallur in the Jaffna District last week. Pastor has been confirmed as a COVID19 case by health authorities in Switzerland. Director-General Health Services Dr Anil Jasinghe said that this person had not attended the service conducted by this pastor but had hosted him in his house. more..

Mar 23 (EN) Supermarket chains will limit the number of customers entering stores in a move to control the spread of Coronavirus and will ration the issue of goods to make sure no one panic buys large volumes after curfew ends, an industry official said. Govt warned families not to send older people to shops, only one person from a house to go shopping, maintain a one meter distance at least in a queue or with other more..

Mar 23 (AD) Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) has instructed all telecom, mobile and direct to home/ cable TV operators to continue services for postpaid customers providing an extended grace period for payment dues which may arise. These instructions were given under directives of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa as connectivity imperative for information dissemination in the fight against Covid-19 at this juncture, Dept of Govt Information stated. more..

Mar 23 (DM) Military has come forward to provide blood and meet a serious shortage of blood at the national blood bank. Director at National Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe said that some troops have already provided blood. He said that an urgent meeting will be held with the military tomorrow (Monday) on how to arrange the collection of blood from troops. A serious shortage of blood had been reported at national blood bank as blood donation camps had been suspended. more..

Mar 23 (TM) With the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases rising at an alarming rate, the safety of health workers island-wide has been compromised by a dire shortage of protective wear. Doctors, nurses, and other frontline health workers across the country are at risk of being infected by the virus, warn health sector unions, unless the Govt immediately supplies the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals. more..

Mar 23 (FT) Business leader Dhammika Perera has joined the battle against the spread of new coronavirus, with a pledge to donate from his personal funds Rs. 70 million worth of urgent healthcare facilities. He said that an air freight order had been placed for six ICU ventilators for the IDH as well as ship 485 hospital beds including 169 ICU beds for both children and adults. This is the first major philanthropic announcement by a business leader on the battle against COVID-19 and more..

Mar 23 (EN) CB has asked commercial banks to be open at least two hours when curfew is lifted in most parts of the island on March 23, while urging customers to make use of online banking. ��CBSL encourages public to use online payment instruments for their day to day transactions and to withdraw cash at less crowded ATMs of any bank,� the regulator said. �CBSL also wishes to advice banks and general public to strictly adhere to necessary health and safety requirements more..

Mar 23 (EN) Sri Lanka is lifting a Coronavirus curfew in many areas of the country Monday morning for people to get groceries and banks will open for two hours authorities said, while the latest health ministry data showed the confirmed count going up to 87. SL�s govt warned families not to send older people to shops, only one person from a house to go shopping, maintain a one meter distance at least in a queue or with other more..

Mar 23 (SLN) The embarkation and disembarkation of onboard security teams of merchant vessels takes place in accordance with a mutually agreed procedure by Navy, local agents of merchant vessels and Sri Lanka Ports Authority under careful supervision of SL Navy. Due to prevailing health concerns in the country, these activities are being closely monitored. Further, disembarking onboard security teams and their direct local agents are being quarantined at the quarantine centre more..

Mar 23 (EN) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pledged 5 million US dollars to a South Asian emergency fund for anti-Coroanvirus activities, his office said. PM Modi had proposed the fund during a conference call with regional leaders on March 15. India pledged 10 million dollars to the fund. Bangladesh had pledged 1.5 million US dollars, and Nepal had already pledged 1.0 million dollars. South Asian economies had been badly hit by the virus, initially with a decline in tourism. more..

Mar 23 (EN) SL is yet to record a death by the COVID19 disease but JMOs across the country have been sent Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to be followed if a patient in a hospital succumbs to the coronavirus. The remains of all those who pass away from this disease will be cremated within 24 hours regardless of their faith according to the SOP. A document authenticated by JMO Department says that an inquest and more..

Mar 23 (EN) SL has banned persons from leaving their district and curfews to stop the spread of Coronavirus will continue after a six hour break, the govt said. After lifting curfew at 0600 hours on Tuesday, curfew will be re-imposed in the districts of Colombo, Puttalam, and Gampaha and districts in the north of SL from 1200 noon until 0600 am Friday (27). Curfew in other districts will continue from Monday till Thursday 0600h. �All inter-district travel is stricltly prohibited,� the PMD said. more..

Mar 23 (DM) A responsible Govt Medical Officer publicly opined that the situation of corona virus of initial stage of SL was worse than Italy. This is not correct comparing Italy and SL figures. It is unrealistic to consider only one variable or one factor (the number of patients) prior to arrive at a decision and make a statement of national interest. It can be categorized as a misleading news with the ulterior motive to create panic among public. There are so many differences in the situation more..

Mar 23 (EN) Statistically, every patient infected with COVID-19 could transmit the virus to 406 others in one month, GMOA President Dr Anurudda Padeniya said. Padeniya was quoting research carried out by Uni of California Assistant Professor of Medicine Robert A J Signer on the math behind social distancing and COVID-19. In an article published in Global News, Signer explained that the calculations were based on initial research more..

Mar 23 (NR) The Public Health Inspectors Union has deployed 2,750 officers to inspect and monitor safety measures taken by venders across the country to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The PHI Union has also requested the public to take preventive measures when visiting stores when curfew is lifted. Chairman Upul Rohana advised the public to refrain from leaving residences at a time that social distancing and self-isolation has been recommended due to spread of coronavirus. more..

Mar 23 (EN) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has called a party leaders�meeting at Temple Trees tomorrow morning to discuss the COVID19 pandemic, as the number of virus-infected patients rose to 91 officials said. The meeting is being called as the first Sri Lankan to contract the disease after a full recovery was discharged from hospital. Wijayananda Herath, the PM�s Media Secretary said that the leaders and Secretaries-General of all the parties in the recently dissolved Parliament would be invited. more..

Mar 23 (EN) The first Sri Lankan to test positive for COVID-19 has been discharged from hospital following a full recovery. The patient, a 52-year-old tour guide, was undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH). Sources confirmed that the patient was discharged a short while ago. The patient, a resident of Mattegoda, is an Italian-speaking tour guide who had been accompanying a group of Italian tourists in Sri Lanka when he contracted the novel coronavirus. more..

Mar 23 (AD) Maheepala Herath has been sworn in as the Governor of the North Central Province before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He was sworn in before the President at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, a short while ago. Herath had previously served as the Chief Minister of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council. He will take over from Professor Tissa Vitharana, who was appointed as as Governor for North Central Province in December last year. more..

Mar 23 (AD) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa today condemned the attempts to sabotage the work of the govt and the anti-Coronavirus campaign in the midst of the most serious epidemic that this country has ever faced. Issuing a statement, he said that on the day that a countrywide curfew was declared to prevent the spread of Coronavirus � Friday the 20th March 2020 - UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe issued more..

Mar 23 (AD) The govt has decided to pay salaries of all government sector employees today. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed Secretary of Finance Ministry S. R. Atigala on the matter. This measure has been taken to facilitate public sector employees to carry on their duties with the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 in the country. However, as of last Friday, salaries of most of the state employees have been banked while the salaries of other state employees are due more..

Mar 23 (SLC) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has taken a decision to grant a sum of LKR 25 million to the Govt to help its efforts toward combating the Covid-19 pandemic, which has created a national health crisis. Accordingly, the grant will be handed over to the Govt immediately. SLC, whilst understanding the gravity of the ongoing health problem, has also taken several other steps to provide its fullest assistance to the Govt in order to combat the crisis. SLC has already postponed all domestic more..

Mar 23 (EN) Sri Lanka issued strict guidelines to be followed tomorrow during the six-hour window in which the COVID-19 curfew will be temporarily lifted for the purchase of groceries and other essentials. �Do not confuse these temporary lifts with complete reversals, as curfew will be re-imposed once the break has lapsed,� DIG Ajith Rohana said. Rohana conducted a public awareness campaign yesterday covering more..

Mar 23 (DM) The WHO has said that the measures Sri Lanka has taken to combat the COVID-19 is in line with the eight pillars outlined in WHO�s country preparedness and response plan. WHO Spokesperson, Sahani Chandraratna said that the WHO is working closely with the Health Ministry to ensure Sri Lanka�s preparedness and response measures are sufficient during the time of an outbreak. The eight pillars outlined by the WHO include country level coordination, planning, more..

Mar 23 (EN) Sri Lanka has extended an arrival ban at international airports till March 31 as part of measures to contain an outbreak of Coronavirus, but airlines would be allowed to carry outbound passengers and returning tourists, the civil aviation authority said. Emergency diversions, cargo aircraft, humanitarian flights, technical landings and inbound ferry flights would be permitted. Transit passengers would also be allowed, but they will be restricted to 06 hours in the airport. more..

Mar 23 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa has announced several relief measures which will be granted to the general public who have been affected by the outbreak of Coronavirus. All relief measures will come into effect from today. Prez has ordered Governor of CB, the Secretaries of all ministries, General Secretaries of Provincial Councils and the heads of all banks, financial institutions and leasing companies to take necessary steps to ensure more..