SRI LANKA’S NATIONAL NEWSPAPER I SINCE 1918 MONDAY MAY 24, 2021 I 14 PAGES I VOLUME - 103 - NO 121 RS. 30.00 I REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER IN SRI LANKA I E-PAPER Fifty Ayurveda Hospitals to become Intermediate COVID Treatment Centres ISHARA MUDUGAMUWA Ayurvedic Hospitals Development, and Com- of essential medical equipment, medicines, Ministry Secretary Maj.Gen. munity Health State Minister Sisira Jayakody and personal protective clothing for medical Dr.Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Health The Health Ministry has decided to con- participated in the discussion. services and to expedite the physical changes Services Director General Dr.Asela vert 50 Ayurvedic Hospitals islandwide as It was decided to provide formal training that need to be made in hospitals. Gunawardena, Indigenous Medi- Intermediate COVID Treatment Centres. on COVID treatment services to the staff Discussions were also held regarding the cine Ministry Secretary Kumari This decision was reached at a special of Ayurvedic hospitals reserved for COVID provision of food and beverages to medical Weerasekera, Director of the Navinna discussion held at the Ministry by Health treatment and to administer an anti-COVID staff, including patients referred for treat- Ayurveda Research Institute Senaka Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi following vaccine. ment. and the Health Minister instructed the Pilapitiya, Provincial Commissioner instructions given by the President. The Health Ministry and the Finance Min- officials to make the necessary arrangements of Ayurveda and officials were pre- Indigenous Medicine Promotion, Rural and istry also agreed to expedite the provision to provide nutritious meals for the patients. sent. Vaccines for all COVID TO BE by Dec. 31 14 million doses of Sinopharm, 13 million doses of CONTAINED Sputnik V and 5 million doses of Pfizer vaccines ordered BY JUNE END The second stock of 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vac- SUBASHINI SENANAYAKE and cine with 502,400 syringes which is a donation from the Dr. Gunasena said that plans have December end,” he said. Dr. Guna- MAHINDA ALUTHGEDARA People of China was brought to the Beijing International been drawn to completely control sena said the country requires only Airport yesterday to be airlifted to Sri Lanka. This is the sec- State Pharmaceuticals Corporation the pandemic in the country with the 29 million of vaccine doses to vacci- ond donation of vaccine doses by China under the concept (SPC) Chairman Dr. Prasanna Guna- vaccination of the targeted popula- nate the targeted population. Arrange- of “Build the Great Wall of Vaccines”. (Inset) Sri Lanka’s sena yesterday expressed the hope tion by the end of December. “The ments have been made to bring in 32 envoy in Beijing, Dr. Palitha Kohona at the airport yesterday. that the spread COVID-19 pandemic background has already been created million doses of vaccines to inoculate Picture courtesy Chinese Embassy in Colombo. can be arrested by June end. to end this menace in the country by the entire population TO PAGE 02 Travel for essentials only on Tuesday Provide relief for those Sajith, wife test COVID positive in need before a Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is being treated for her - Army Commander said he has tested positive for COVID-19 symptoms. long lockdown - Ranil and is being treated at hospital. His wife “Yesterday, my wife National Operations Centre groceries selling food items Jalani Premadasa has also tested positive was admitted to hospi- for Prevention of COVID-19 and pharmacies and fill- SHIROMI ABHAYASINGHE for COVID-19. Premadasa said that even tal with symptoms of Outbreak Head, Army Com- ing stations will be allowed though he remains asymptomatic, his wife Covid-19. She subse- mander, Gen.Shavendra Silva to remain open during the Former Prime Minister and quently tested posi- said relaxing travel restrictions period travel restrictions are UNP leader Ranil Wickremesin- tive having done a tomorrow (25) was to allow relaxed, he said. ghe said if it was necessary to go PCR. the public to purchase essential He added that only one per- for a complete lockdown, relief Close associates in House Following Health goods and services. son from a household should should be provided to people in Guidelines, I did a He said relaxing travel go out to purchase essential need. PCR as well and was informed a short restrictions on Tuesday will items.“Liquor shops will He said that that if US$ 200 to be identified while ago that I too, have tested positive, allow the public to purchase have to remain closed and million had been spent by the The Serjeant-at-Arms has begun iden- the Opposition Leader posted in his offi- essential goods and services such as food non- essential public gatherings will not government to import vaccine tifying close associates of the Opposition cial Facebook page. and medicine. be permitted, General Silva said.Travel doses last November, there would Leader Sajith Premadasa after he was He requested the people to comply The Army Commander further added restrictions that came into effect from 11 not have been a vaccine shortage in the country. tested COVID-19 positive, Serjeant-at-Arms with health guidelines aimed at control- that travel restrictions will only be pm on Friday will be relaxed at 4 am on Wickremesinghe in a special statement said that the Narendra Fernando (23) said yesterday. ling the spread of the virus. relaxed but not removed. Only essential Tuesday, May 25 and will be re-imposed depreciation of the Sri Lankan Rupee was due to the Accordingly, several The Opposition Leader however said goods and service providers such as at 11.00 pm on the same day. TO PAGE XX02 printing of money by the Central Bank and TO PAGE XX02 TO PAGE 02 that his main focus is to TO PAGE XX02 Ministerial Committee to monitor AG Dappula retires today, Rajaratnam new AG DILSHAN THARAKA Council and sworn in on Sri Lanka and the Parlia- Attorney General Dappula May 10, 2019. mentary Council approved effective distribution of essentials de Livera PC who served as De Livera concluded his appointment as Attorney the 47th Attorney General of action in 27,206 criminal General replacing de Livera. IRANGIKA RANGE ernment has appointed a tunga, Rohitha Abeyguna- entrusted the task of Sri Lanka is will retire today. cases during his tenure; this Co-ordinating Officer to An effective mechanism special Ministerial Commit- wardene, Johnston Fer- streamlining the distribu- Attorney General Dappula was done during the two the Attorney General State will be formulated to dis- tee to monitor and coor- nando and the Secretary tion of essential commodi- de Livera was appointed as year term of the Attorney Counsel Nishara Jayaratne tribute essential commodi- dinate this mechanism to to the Prime Minister and ties including vegetables, the acting Attorney General General from May 2019 to said she will relinquish ties across the country ensure that benefits of the has been appointed by the fruits, rice and fish espe- on April 29, 2019 by former May 2021. duties as the Coordinating during the period of travel programme reach the needy Presidential Task Force for cially in rural areas dur- President Maithripala Siri- Sanjay Rajaratnam PC Officer to the Attorney Gen- restrictions. people across the country. Economic Revival and the ing the period when travel sena and his appointment was appointed by President eral from today. Tourism Minister Prasan- The Committee includes Poverty Alleviation. restrictions are imposed. was confirmed on May 7, Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the New AG Sanjay na Ranatunga said the gov- Ministers Prasanna Rana- The Committee has TO PAGE XX02 2019 by the Constitutional 48th Attorney General of TO PAGE XX02 Rajaratnam, PC Two arrested for attacking PSC on Electoral Reforms a welcome move - PAFFREL User friendly mobile app from 1990 ambulance crew Exams Department ASELA KURULUWANSA Public urged to send proposals before June 19 DINULI FRANCISCO The Dimbula Pathana Police on Saturday arrested two suspects involved in attacking the driver, a female AMALI MALLAWAARACHCHI “As an election monitoring organi- well as the legal provisions relating The Education Ministry has medical assistant and the 1990 Suwaseriya Ambulance The public consultation of elec- zation, we believe that the decision of to elections need to be amended to introduced a candidate-friendly attached to the Hatton Police. tion law reforms is a democratically the Parliamentary Select Committee suit the current political context. mobile app (in all three languag- The Suwaseriya Ambulance service had received an healthy course of action, Rohana Het- appointed to look into the electoral There is an urgent need to formulate es) to access all services related emergency call on Saturday from the Kudagama, Agil tiaarachchi, Executive Director of and electoral structure and reforms new legal provisions covering all sec- to the Examinations Department. area to transport a patient who had fallen from the the People’s Action for Free and Fair to take a public consultation is the tors to ensure equitable competition, Education Minister Prof. G.L upstairs of a tourist inn which is under construction Elections (PAFFREL) said yesterday best course of action. There is no especially if the exercise of suffrage, Pieris said in line with the Gov- around 2 am on Saturday. TO PAGE XX02 (23). doubt that the electoral structure as an element of people’s TO PAGE XX02 ernment’s Digitization Policy, the Exam Sri Lanka DOE mobile Ban on chemical fertilizer will application was TO PAGE XX02 Cyber attacks on five state websites Principal arrested for ‘treasure hunting’ LAHIRU FERNANDO The Principal of the Monarawana School in Med- affect farmers badly - UNP Five websites agama in the Bibile Educational Zone who was SHIROMI ABHAYASINGHE the country for years and SC orders Salley be sent to belonging to State involved in ‘treasure hunting’ in the school premises The government has the country will have to institutions includ- has been arrested by police along with five suspects.