PCR Capacity to Be Maintained the Present PCR Testing Capacity in the Told the Sunday Morning on Friday (6)
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Covid takes CPC to profitability GR GETS RS. 70.00 PAGES 80 / SECTIONS 7 VOL. 03 – NO. 06 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2020 HANDS ON AS MUTATING STRAINS LAND GRAB VIRUS TAKES AND CHANGING RACKET IN CENTRE STAGE SYMPTOMS NUGEGODA »SEE PAGES 8 & 9 »SEE PAGE 10 »SEE PAGES 3 »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] OIL PIPELINE RENOVATION Govt. yet to end China deal z z Local engineers offer lower cost TUs urge Minister to terminate BY MAHEESHA MUDGAMUWA The proposal was submitted to However, even though Cabinet Minister nor the present Minister They are pushing for it to be handed the Cabinet by former Minister approval was received, the project has taken any action to terminate over to local engineers at the CPC and Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila is under fire as he of Petroleum Industries Kabir had not proceeded due to the the project. Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals is yet to terminate a costly Chinese oil pipeline renovation Hashim last October to renovate vehement opposition by the trade The TUs attached to the Ceylon Ltd. (CPSTL) at a total cost of Rs. the dilapidated oil pipeline at a cost unions (TUs) last year. Petroleum Corporation (CPC) raised 1,900 million for the renovation of project, despite local engineers offering to carry out the of Rs. 15 billion by China Petroleum Yet, the project still has Cabinet concerns over the delay of the Minister both 12 and 18-inch pipelines. work at one-tenth the cost, The Sunday Morning learnt. Pipeline Bureau (CPP). approval, as neither the previous in terminating the expensive project. Contd. on page 2 Our daily bread? RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS PCR capacity to be maintained The present PCR testing capacity in the told The Sunday Morning on Friday (6). He added that the issues that prevailed country would be maintained despite the He stressed that there would be no regarding PCR testing in the country have introduction of a new rapid antigen test reduction in the number of PCR tests now been sorted and therefore, the PCR tests for Covid-19, Ministry of Health Chief conducted in the country at present, despite are being carried out at maximum capacity. Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera the new rapid antigen test being introduced. Contd. on page 2 FOREIGNCAPITAL REVENUE BY MIGRANT WORKERS HEIGHTS SL records decline CAPITALRS. 34 MILLION HEIGHTS UPWARDSRS. 34 MILLION of $ 1 b so far UPWARDS BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA loss of jobs by Sri Lankan migrant workers since the The country was expected Covid-19 outbreak affected CAPITAL HEIGHTS to lose over $ 1 billion in their employment. RS. 34 MILLION foreign revenue due to the Contd. on page 2 VISIT OUR UPWARDSWEBSITE CAPITALVISIT HEIGHTS+94 OUR 763112233 MIGRANT WORKER JOB LOSSES RS.35SHOW APARTMENT MILLIONWEBSITE UPWARDSRS. 34 MILLION READY FOR INSPECTION UPWARDS Report due PROJECT NEARING+94 763112233 COMPLETION VISIT OUR SHOW APARTMENT WEBSITE VISIT OUR +94 763112233WEBSITE A stock of bread was seen taken to a bakery in Attidiya, Ratmalana on Friday (6). The level of hygiene in handling tomorrow the stock, however, remains a question READY FOR INSPECTION SHOW APARTMENT www.capitalheights.lk+94 763112233 PHOTO SAMAN ABESIRIWARDANA BY SARAH HANNAN READY FORSHOW INSPECTION APARTMENT KERAWALAPITIYA LNG PLANT The SriPROJECT Lanka Bureau ofNEARING Foreign Employment COMPLETION READY FOR INSPECTION Expensive fertiliser (SLBFE) will publish its report on the number of job PROJECT NEARINGPROJECT NEARING COMPLETION COMPLETION Launch on Prez’s losses that was compiled using data gathered via its hurting farmers online survey form tomorrow (9). anniversary Contd. on page 2 z Free fertiliser delay derails ‘Maha’ plans The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will commence the construction of the 300 The timely cultivation of crops for the upcoming EAST CONTAINER TERMINAL MW Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power Maha season has been jeopardised as the Government plant in Kerawalapitiya on 17 November to has failed to deliver free fertiliser on time, pushing Ports Authority commemorate the completion of President farmers to purchase fertiliser from shops at a high price, Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s first year in office, The Sunday Morning learnt. CEB Chairman Eng. Vijitha Herath told The “The Government is misleading the farmers this time denies Indian stake Sunday Morning. by saying they are unable to deliver the fertiliser for their Contrary to media reports, by the Sri Lanka Ports Contd. on page 2 cultivating needs on time and telling to purchase fertiliser no decision has been taken by Authority (SLPA), to India’s using their (farmers) personal funds”. the Government to hand over Adani Group, according to FISHERIES SECTOR Contd. on page 2 the East Container Terminal the SLPA. (ECT), which is now operated Contd. on page 2 Govt. eliminates KOTMALE DAM ELEVATION ‘middlemen’ Capacity to be doubled In a bid to ensure the income levels of The water capacity of the Kotmale Common Infrastructure Facilities of fishermen are unharmed due to the impact Reservoir and Dam is to be more than Settlements and Canals in Mahaweli of Covid-19, the Government has directed doubled by raising the dam by 30 metres, Zones Siripala Gamlath said: “The the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) to irrigate arable lands in the Mahaweli intention of this project is to improve and others purchasing fish to make their H Zone towards the Anuradhapura the water supply to the two districts State Minister Siripala Gamlath inspecting the purchases directly from the fishermen. and Puttalam Districts, it is learnt. that are under the Mahaweli H Zone. model reservoir dam complex during a recent Contd. on page 2 State Minister of Development of Contd. on page 2 visit to the Kotmale reservoir project office 2 the sunday morning FOCUS/NEWS Sunday, November 8, 2020 BY SARAH HANNAN Last week, the ambient air quality above Sri Lanka reached unhealthy reading levels for about four days Air pollution vs. Covid-19 straight. z Air pollution could increase risk of respiratory diseases like Covid-19 The restriction of movements and the public being mandated to wear the pollutants or the particulate pollution conditions are expected (µg/m3) of air and annually should that when the air is polluted, people In terms of Covid-19, the WHO facemasks when outdoors, somewhat matter that should be present in to fluctuate and if the public is stand at 25 µg/m3 of air. inadvertently breathe bad-quality has repeated many times what reduced the possible exposure of the the atmosphere should be a lot exposed to the low-quality air air. Through the lungs, it will cause measures need to be taken, from masses to the pollutants that were less these days since there is very that is circulating, they would Covid-19 symptoms major damage, already increasing the washing your hands, maintaining present. less vehicular movement, and experience some breathing aggravated risk of chronic respiratory diseases good hygiene, and ensuring that you According to data from the factories too are running at half their difficulties, specifically sensitive In a recent interview for the such as lung cancer, obstructive respect the physical distance that it National Building Research capacity due to Covid-19 health groups (i.e., children, the elderly, World Health Organisation chronic pulmonary diseases, is recommending, to avoiding very Organisation’s (NBRO) Air Quality guidelines. However, the change in pregnant women, and people with (WHO), its Department of Public asthma, pneumonia, and others. crowded places in which you may Monitoring Centres, apart from wind direction seems to be pushing respiratory illnesses), but not Health, Environment, and Social The very small particles can then have very close contact with other the southern parts of Sri Lanka, polluted atmospheric air from the others. Determinants of Health Director reach the bloodstream, affecting the people, ensuring natural ventilation, the particulate matter level in the Indian subcontinent these days, The presence of such pollution Dr. Maria Neira highlighted how air cardiovascular system and other and the use of masks whenever they atmosphere in Colombo, Kandy, which brought in the smog and a conditions can be observed due pollution could aggravate symptoms organs. are recommended. Puttalam, Vavuniya, Jaffna, and other haze situation mid-week.” to natural changes such as the of Covid-19 in terms of the present “In the case of the patients with “But in the case of air pollution, places had increased abnormally Elaborating on the phenomenon, invisibility of buildings and other community health. Covid-19, those who will be more at the most important recommendation since 27 October, reaching unhealthy Premasiri noted that when the NBRO places far away from the horizon, “About seven million premature a severe risk of developing illness are is that in those countries where the levels. observed the real-time air quality the appearance of smoke in the deaths are caused every year due those with underlying conditions like levels of air pollution are very high, Although Sri Lanka experienced a map, it had confirmed that the air surrounding atmosphere, and the to exposure to air pollution.