COVID-19Count Now At
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SRI LaNKA’S NATIONAL NEWSpapER I SINCE 1918 WEDNESdaY MARCH 25, 2020 I VOLUME - 102 - NO 73 I RS. 30.00 I REGISTERED AS A NEWSpapER IN SRI LaNKA I SPECIAL EDITION Most of our proposals Pharmacies open implemented – GMOA PRIME MINISTER CHAIRS ALL PARTY MEETING during curfew NADIRA GUNATILLEKE The majority of proposals presented by The Government Medical Offic- The Health and Indigenous Medi- ers’ Association (GMOA) to prevent cine Services Ministry announced that COVID-19 had been implemented by pharmacies will be kept open during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the curfew period. Government authorities and as a result POLITicaL UNITY TO Issuing a press release, the ministry COVID-19 has been controlled in Sri said this decision was taken as the Lanka to the current level, GMOA patients, who go to clinics and pur- Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. chase medicine daily, have been incon- Issuing a statement to Media he said venienced due to the curfew. that more proposals to prevent further The Ministry said the diagnosis spread of COVID-19 have already been card and the prescription would serve presented to the Government. comBAT COVID-19 as a pass during the curfew period. According to Dr. Aluthge, decision It stated that the IGP has been making should not be delayed and tak- informed of these measures. ing prompt decisions immediately is The police have also been requested required to control the disease. Long PARTY LEADERS commEND GovERNMENT FOR SWIFT acTION to allow the workers of pharmacies term plans should be made using the and vehicles transporting pharmaceu- current experiences. CHAMINDA PERERA in this regard in the future.Health Services program and requested the Government to tical drugs during the curfew. A self-sufficient food culture should Steps will be taken to obtain the assistance Director General Dr Anil Jasinghe apprised put in place a mechanism for the people to be established in Sri Lanka and the of political party leaders and their representa- the party leaders and their representatives purchase essential commodities without any people should be encouraged to go for tives who represented the last Parliament for on the present situation in the country. The inconvenience. a traditional eating pattern in order the Government’s program for preventing the Party leaders also focused on the impact The Party leaders pointed out that fishing to improve their natural immunity, he Covid-19 spread in the country, Prime Minis- caused by the outbreak on country’s econo- communities are facing inconvenience as added. ter Mahinda Rajapaksa stated yesterday. my and measures that need to be taken to their produce are not allowed to be transport- Relief for minor Prime Minister Rajapaksa arrived at this mitigate its impact on economy. ed during the curfew. The Prime Minister decision at a meeting with the Party leaders They also stressed the importance of in turn instructed the Acting IGP to make offenders explored and their representatives who represented continuing the present program to provide arrangements to ensure that fishermen can CAMELIA NATHANIEL the last Parliament, at Temple Trees yester- essential commodities to the public. transport their produce without any hassle. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has directed day. The Prime Minister made this decision Prime Minister Rajapaksa said that Several Party leaders were of the view that the relevant authorities to consider the possibil- after taking into the views expressed by the arrangements have been made for the people Parliament should be reconvened. However ity of granting relief measures to those in prison Cabinet to discuss party leaders and their representatives into to buy essential commodities through Coop- the majority was of the view that they should for being unable to fulfil their bail conditions consideration. eratives and Lak Sathosa outlets and this extend their full support to the present over minor offences. current situation The opinions of the party leaders and program will be further streamlined in the national programme aiming at preventing the The President made this observation at the their representatives will also be taken into future.The participants also discussed about outbreak of Covid-19 instead of re-convening Presidential Secretariat when he met with the A special cabinet briefing is to be consideration in the prevention of Covid-19 the opening of tea factories and plucking of the parliament. Special Committee appointed by him to look held today at the Presidential Secre- in the future. tea leaves and keeping the wholesale shops UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, For- into the possibility of providing legal relief tariat under the patronage of Presi- A comprehensive program is under way open to provide relief to the people. mer President Maithripala Sirisena, Former to those imprisoned for minor offences. The dent Gotabaya Rajapaksa to discuss centering the National Operation Centre for UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe while Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Ministers Dinesh President took the decision to grant relief to the current situation in the country the Prevention of Covid-19 outbreak in the commending the measures taken by the gov- Gunawardene, Bandula Gunawardena, these prisoners based on a request they made over COVID-19 epidemic. country on the directive of the Government. ernment said the curfew should be imposed Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Wimal Weerawansa, from him when he visited the prison premises The Cabinet meeting is scheduled Party leaders commended the measures to prevent the congregation of people. former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, and SLMC recently. to be held at the Presidential Secre- taken by the Government to prevent the He also proposed to continue the leave leader Rauff Hakeem, former Parliamentar- The special committee appointed by the pres- tariat this morning at 10.30 am. spread of Covid-19 in the country and also granted to the employees who are not in the ians S Sumanthiran, Udaya Gammanpila and ident is expected to meet again on March 26th Meanwhile, the President has also assured their fullest cooperation towards the compulsory services. Former Speaker Karu several other political representatives were to receive recommendations regarding legal summoned all District Secretaries to measures to be taken by the Government Jayasuriya also commended the government’s present. relief measures for prisoners who are unable to the Presidential Secretariat for a spe- pay their fines or bail. The Legal Committee cial discussion later this afternoon. consists of officials of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the Department of Prisons. COVID-19 count now at 101 RUKSHANA RIZWIE even during the hours when curfew is Speaking at the National operation lifted,” he said. Centre to Combat Covid-19 Dr Anil Jas- He said that it was commendable to inghe, Director General of Health Ser- note that many people had paid heed vices said that as of today 101 COVID- to the request by the Government and 19 cases have been confirmed in Sri health officials by maintaining a dis- Lanka. tance of one metre earlier today when “As of today four new cases of COVID- curfew was lifted and individuals were 19 have been recorded, three of them out purchasing essentials. are returnees from Italy while the other He however noted that while this is a returnee from the USA, “ he said. “ was evident at supermarkets people It is clear to us that most of the COVID- congregated in large numbers at smaller 19 cases confirmed in Sri Lanka have grocery stores. “Regardless of the size been from returnees who had arrived in of I humbly request store owners and the country.” shopkeepers to assist and request shop- He said that Colombo, Gampaha and pers to ensure that this distance is Kalutara have been identified as high- maintained.” risk zones because the majority of cases He added that when curfew is lifted are from these three districts. and when people have to return to work “There are 10 individuals are from to follow this rule as much as possible. Gampaha, 21 from Colombo and 13 “COVID-19 spreads through individu- from Kalutara,” he added. als who serve as vectors, hence if we Dr Jasinghe requests the public to can maintain this distance it would be assist the government’s efforts to con- useful in containing its spread,” he said. tain the spread of the global pandemic. Dr. Jasinghe speaking at the con- “One of the most effective measures ference confirmed that a community to contain the spread of COVID-19 is health physician at IDH had contracted to maintain social distancing hence we COVID-19. However the said physician Returnees who were subject to quarantine left the quarantine centres after the mandatory 14-day period yesterday. Here they board a bus at the request the public to ensure that a dis- does not check up on patients but main- Kandakadu quarantine centre. (Army Media) tance of at least one metre is maintained tains a dispensary at the IDH. First batch of Returnees at India in 21-day E-Thaksalawa accessible Quarantine Centres head home lockdown without data charges A group of 311 returnees who under- Galle, Colombo, Kandy and Matara areas. India will begin the world’s largest AMALI MALLAWAARACHCHI went the two-week long quarantine process In addition, troops supplied them with lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra E-Thaksalawa is available in the following at Punani (203) and Kandakadu (108) left snacks, water and lunch packets on their Modi announced in a TV address E-Thaksalawa the official E-learning portal link http://e-thaksalawa.moe.gov.lk those Quarantine Centers after comple- way with special focus on infants and chil- Tuesday night, warning that anyone for schools with learning content from grade Meanwhile TRCSL also provided support tion of medical procedures and receipt of dren.Commander, Security Forces East, going outside risked inviting the 1 to grade 13 is now accessible without data contact numbers from relevant universities to Quarantine Certificates yesterday morning Major General Rasika Fernando, General coronavirus inside their homes, and charges with the support of all operators ena- seek further information on utilizing the uni- (24).