300 MW LNG POWER PLANT STILL ON LOW VOLTAGE RS. 70.00 PAGES 80 / SECTIONS 7 VOL. 03 – NO. 05 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2020 GOVT. TO NEVER COMPROMISED TRUMP SENDS OUR POLITICAL STAND CONFIDENTIAL MISS EASY - NIZAM KARIYAPPER MESSAGE TO PREZ. TAX TARGET »SEE PAGE 7 »SEE PAGE 11 »SEE PAGES 8 & 9 »SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1 GENERAL PREVENTIVE GUIDELINES For verified information on the coronavirus (Covid-19) contact any of the following authorities Suwasariya Ambulance Service 1999 Health Promotion Bureau Quarantine Unit 0112 112 705 1990 Epidemiology Unit 0112 695 112 Govt. coronavirus hotline 0113071073 PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL TASK FORCE FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES Telephone 0114354854, 0114733600 Wash hands with soap for 40-60 Wear a commercially available mask/ Maintain a minimum distance Use gloves when shopping, using Use traditional Sri Lankan greeting Always wear a mask, avoid crowded Hotline 0113456200-4 seconds, or rub hands with alcohol- cloth mask or a surgical mask at all of 1 metre from others, especially public transport, etc. and discard into at all times instead of handshaking, vehicles, maintain distance, and wash Fax 0112333066, 0114354882 based handrub for 20-30 seconds times in public places in public places a lidded bin lined with a bag hugging, and/or kissing hands before and after travelling Email [email protected] No new ventilators since March z No orders placed by Govt. since first outbreak z Chief Epidemiologist claims things under control BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA added that the number of ventilators questioning why the Ministry failed to Sri Lanka has confirmed 9,791 The Covid-19 death toll meanwhile available in the country were not order a few more, at least another 400 novel coronavirus infections to date. went up to 19 last Tuesday (27), as Despite several Covid-19 outbreak scares and the rapidly adequate to handle a spike in critical ventilators. We don’t have additional According to statistics, 4,142 of the three infected persons including a snowballing new wave, the Ministry of Health has not ordered patients. ventilators even available,” the senior confirmed patients have made complete 19-year-old fell victim to the virus. a single ventilator since the first local patient was detected in “We have only 630 ICU beds in the official stressed. recoveries from the virus. The senior medical official also Sri Lanka on 11 March 2020, The Sunday Morning learnt. country for a population of around As of Friday (30), the total number The Epidemiology Unit says 5,630 alleged that the authorities were 23 million. And only 146 beds have of positive cases detected in the active cases are still receiving medical trying to pass the ball from one court This was revealed to The Sunday attached to the Ministry of Health, who been allocated for Covid management. Minuwangoda-Peliyagoda cluster hit treatment at selected hospitals across to another by misleading the public. Morning by a senior medical official wished to remain anonymous, who This is a pathetic situation. No one’s 6,313. With the new development, the island. Contd. on page 2 MT NEW DIAMOND Keeping an eye out MEPA report to Monorail to fill LRT gap z Battaramulla Negotiations are currently ongoing despite the abandonment of the Light AG this week stretch back to with regard to all four originally Rail Transit (LRT) project which was BY SARAH HANNAN monorail project planned monorail projects, which are to be constructed on a Japanese loan. to run from Battaramulla to Colombo, “We have not stopped the monorail The Marine Environment Protection z No Japanese Homagama to Colombo, Moratuwa to project”. Authority (MEPA) expert committee, appointed Colombo, and Ragama to Colombo, Contd. on page 2 under the directives of the Attorney General involvement (AG), is to submit a quantification report at the end of this week to the AG over the anticipated CAPITAL HEIGHTS civil liabilities that resulted from the bunker Pompeo had oil spill caused by the fire onboard MT New CAPITALRS. 34 MILLION HEIGHTS Diamond, The Sunday Morning learnt. no time for PM RS. 34 MILLION Contd. on page 2 There was no meeting scheduled between UPWARDS Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa and UPWARDS SPIKE IN LEPTOSPIROSIS CASES US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his brief visit to Sri Lanka last week as Pompeo CAPITAL HEIGHTS Drug shortage, had a very tight schedule before he flew to the Maldives, The Sunday Morning learnt. RS. 34 MILLION Contd. on page 2 VISIT OUR negligence UPWARDSWEBSITE CAPITALVISIT HEIGHTS+94 OUR 763112233 PARLIAMENT SESSION RS.35SHOW APARTMENT MILLIONWEBSITE UPWARDSRS. 34 MILLION main causes READY FOR INSPECTION UPWARDS A short supply of doxycycline and public negligence have been identified to be the main Limited PROJECT NEARING+94 763112233 COMPLETION VISIT OUR causes over the spike in leptospirosis cases SHOW APARTMENT WEBSITE reported this year, according to Ministry of Health VISIT OUR MPs and no +94 763112233WEBSITE Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera. SHOW APARTMENT www.capitalheights.lk Contd. on page 2 READY FOR INSPECTION +94 763112233 journalists READY FORSHOW INSPECTION APARTMENT PROJECT NEARING COMPLETIONREADY FOR INSPECTION Stricter z No outsiders, public PROJECT NEARINGPROJECT NEARING COMPLETION COMPLETION Environmental gallery to be closed z Parliament staff to be Act in January reduced to half The recently amended National The next Parliament sessions would Environmental Act will be presented to see additional Covid-19 measures being Parliament in January 2021 with increased Several checkpoints were stationed in the entry and exit points of Colombo adopted in addition to curtailing sessions periods of imprisonment and higher fines for to monitor travellers during the three-day-long curfew imposed in the to a single day. crimes committed against the environment, Western Province on 30 October PHOTO LALITH PERERA Contd. on page 2 Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera stated. COVID-19 TREATMENT CENTRES Contd. on page 2 Kelani River Several prisons ready Prison will be utilised and transformed investigation into Covid-19 treatment centres if such for conversion a need arises,” he said. Upuldeniya noted that plans were halted zThree prisons ready if need arises underway to do so in case of an The Central Environmental Authority’s outbreak within the prison system. (CEA) investigations into the factories BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA Commissioner General of Prisons “We have not initiated any plans just yet. identified to be releasing pollutants to the Thushara Upuldeniya said that the We are making arrangements to convert Kelani River have come to a halt due to Three prisons have been identified to Welikada Magazine Prison was among these prisons into treatment centres only the Covid-19 prevention protocols that are be converted into Covid-19 treatment those selected for this purpose if needed. if the need arises and if there is a severe currently in place. centres if the need arises, The Sunday “Welikada Prison, Angunakolapelessa Covid-19 outbreak in the prison system.” Contd. on page 2 Morning learnt. Prison, and a part of the Bogambara Contd. on page 2 2 the sunday morning NEWS Sunday, November 1, 2020 Under police watch Police officers stationed at a checkpoint in Panadura, a curfew-imposed area in the Kalutara District, monitoring motorists entering and exiting the city on Friday (30 October) PHOTOS SAMAN ABESIRIWARDANA Contd. from page 1 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Foreign as one parliamentary journalist has been a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 1-2% in the present spread of Covid-19 within the No new... Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in his recent found positive for Covid-19. The public recent past. country is brought under control. Criticising the lethargic approach taken visit but did not have time to meet the PM, gallery will also be closed and no visitors Being a zoonotic disease which occurs – Sarah Hannan by the Health Ministry to control the as he was to fly to the Maldives. will be allowed, except for outside officials worldwide, it is more common in tropical spreading of the virus, the official stressed However, during a media briefing held who would be required on that day.” countries such as Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, that the virus could have been already in Washington prior to the visit, Bureau of Sergeant-at-Arms of Parliament leptospirosis is reported throughout the Stricter controlled if the proper decisions had been South and Central Asian Affairs Principal Narendra Fernando said that the Parliament year, with two peaks generally observed Environmental... taken on time. Deputy Assistant Secretary Dean R. staff will also be reduced by more than which coincide with paddy cultivation. “Many officials are afraid of taking Thompson said that Secretary Pompeo half. High humidity and heavy rainfall may “By January 2021, the amended decisions,” the official stressed. would meet with President Gotabaya “We will be having a meeting with the cause outbreaks because of widespread Environmental Act should come into When contacted, Ministry of Health Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Parliament Secretary General on Monday exposure to flood water. Transmission force. We have submitted the necessary Medical Supplies Division (MSD) Deputy Rajapaksa, and Foreign Minister Dinesh (3) to decide how many staff can attend. to humans may be direct by inoculation amendments to the Legal Draftsman, Director Dr. H.M.K. Wickramanayake Gunawardena on his visit to emphasise the We hope to keep the number of staff below with infected animal tissue or body fluids and once it is received, we can present it confirmed to The Sunday Morning that the US’ commitment to a strong, independent, 500.” or indirect with the organisms entering to the Cabinet of Ministers and then to MSD did not order ventilators. and democratic Sri Lanka. He said that on average, there were via mucosal surfaces or damaged skin Parliament,” he told The Sunday Morning However, he said there was a programme When contacted for clarification, PM’s around 900 staff in the Parliament in from infected urine or contaminated on Friday (30 October).