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A YEAR ON... REMEMBERING THOSE WHO WERE RS. 80.00 PAGES 48 / SECTIONS 5 VOL. 02 – NO. 30 SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2020 Maintain Distance, Stay Safe www.themorning.lk epaper.themorning.lk TAKEN www.aruna.lk epaper.aruna.lk TOURISM SECTOR ELECTION HEAT A MAKE 21 APRIL 2019 MORATORIUM LIKELY RETURNS; PENDULUM OR BREAK TO BE EXTENDED SWAYS TOWARDS EC STAGE »SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1 »SEE PAGE 8 »SEE PAGE 9 Colombo to reopen Wednesday z Schools, universities, tuition, and cinemas remain closed z No joy for Bamba, Maradana, Mount, Dehiwala BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA schools, universities, tuition classes, When The Sunday Morning Gampaha District; the Puttalam, FOLLOW-UP CHECKS and other educational institutes as contacted Minister Mahinda Marawila, and Wennappuwa police Despite health authorities continuing to discover Covid-19 well as cinemas will remain closed Amaraweera, a key Cabinet areas in the Puttalam District; and the Police checks on patients on a daily basis, the Government will relax curfew until further notice. Minister, for comment, he said the Bandaragama, Payagala, Beruwala, restrictions in Colombo from Wednesday (22) onwards, However, all state institutions in the Government had taken the decision and Aluthgama police divisions in 39,000 persons bringing an end to the month-long period of inactivity in Sri Colombo District have been ordered to relax curfew restrictions the Kalutara District. Police Media Spokesperson SP Jaliya Lanka’s commercial capital. to limit the number of employees to considering the economic situation Meanwhile, in all districts Senaratne said that a follow-up check on one-third of the total staff while all of the country. except that of Colombo, Kalutara, 39,000 persons who have completed their The President’s Office announced Keselwatta, Maradana, Gothatuwa, private companies have been advised In addition to the Colombo Gampaha, Puttalam, Kandy, Kegalle, quarantine period would be initiated. yesterday (18) that curfew will Mulleriyawa, Wellampitiya, Mt. to open at 10 a.m. in the morning. District, curfew will be lifted from and Ampara, curfew will be lifted Sri Lanka Police had made this decision be lifted in the Colombo District Lavinia, Dehiwala, and Kohuwala. All heads of state institutions and the 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. from 22 April in from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. from tomorrow after several reports of persons who from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. from 22 All departments, corporations, owners of private companies have the districts of Gampaha, Kalutara, (20) onwards, and be back in underwent quarantine had later contracted April onwards, except for the banks, and other state institutions also been advised to provide the and Puttalam, with the exemption force from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Covid-19 and was tested positive. police divisions of Kotahena, have been directed to operate as necessary facilities while adhering of the Ja-Ela, Kochchikade, and further notice. Contd. on page 2 Grandpass, Bambalapitiya, usual when curfew is relaxed, while to government health regulations. Seeduwa police divisions in the Contd. on page 2 DECISION ON 2020 GENERAL ELECTION ONSET OF MONSOON AFFECTS THOUSANDS Clean up EC to decide tomorrow Over 9,000 z Meeting with health and z Report to be sought security authorities from health authorities persons affected “We will meet with the health BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA z Heavy rain and strong wind damages 1,222 houses authorities, security forces, and the Amidst a fierce debate on whether a date relevant officials on Monday (20) to BY SARAH HANNAN 9,831 persons being affected, with for the impending parliamentary elections get an update on the spread of the virus 1,222 houses and 130 small or CLEAN UP should be scheduled now or whether the to determine if the environment is right to As the intermonsoon season brings medium-sized business premises election should be postponed further, the hold an election,” EC Chairman Mahinda strong winds spreading thunderstorms partially damaged, along with damage Election Commission (EC) said it will take Deshapriya told The Sunday Morning and heavy rains between the period of to 16 critical infrastructures due to into account the views of health authorities yesterday (18). 8-18 April, the Disaster Management strong wind and heavy rain. before making its final decision. Contd. on page 2 Centre (DMC) recorded a total of Contd. on page 2 SRILANKAN SAYS Commercial flight, not chartered The SriLankan Airlines flight that transported Australians from Bangladesh back home was a commercial flight and not a chartered flight, SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage asserted. Contd. on page 2 A police officer being disinfected during a Covid-19 prevention programme held in Gunasinghepura, Colombo on Friday (17) CEB EXPENSES REDUCE PHOTO LALITH PERERA Tariffs to remain SHORTAGE OF PHARMACEUTICALS unchanged Electricity tariffs will remain Govt. turns to India unchanged despite the reduction z Shortage of over 500 z Authorities accused of total expenditure of the Ceylon drugs, says GMOA of failing to act Electricity Board (CEB) over a month, as the country went under As local medical experts Co-Cabinet Spokesman Dr. total lockdown to control the raised concerns over a drug Bandula Gunawardana told The spread of Covid-19, and a drastic shortage prevailing in the Sunday Morning that the drug decline in global oil prices. country, the Government notes shortage in the country was Contd. on page 2 that measures have been taken not a new phenomenon as it to import essential drugs that prevailed even during the time are in short supply from India of the previous Government. immediately. Contd. on page 2 Farmers’ woes continue Farmers across the country IMPROVING FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN continue to suffer due to the curfews imposed to prevent Uni deans to the fore the spread of Covid-19, with The current global health consequences of it in the coming some farmers having to sell a emergency presented by the weeks, Minister of Industrial kilogramme of brinjals for just Rs. spread of Covid-19 will display Export and Investment Promotion 5 while some are unable to resume the downside of globalisation and Government Spokesperson their cultivation due to the failure for many countries. Sri Lanka Keheliya Rambukwella stated. to raise the required monies. too will be experiencing the Contd. on page 2 Contd. on page 2 2 the sunday morning NEWS Sunday, April 19, 2020 Discrepancies in dry ration distribution BY SARAH HANNAN are facing grave difficulties. instructed, the Rs. 5,000 allowance is being “We purchased the dry rations following distributed to anyone who qualifies. Four weeks into the curfew being a special meeting that was called at the “Apart from that, for any areas that enforced across the country, the Pradeshiya Sabha and the purchase was the delivery trucks do not go, we have Government as well as private made using the tax earnings of the Sabha instructed the district secretaries to look donors are taking measures after all members approved the move. into the matter. The district secretary to provide the necessary dry We had made arrangements to distribute is then required to co-ordinate with the rations to low-income families at the dry rations to these people, but Sathosa manager of their area regarding the concessionary rates as well as free of were informed by the Central Province delivery of goods. charge in some cases. Governor’s office that dry rations should “Anyone who is willing to donate dry not be distributed free and should be sold.” rations to be distributed is to contact the However, some areas are not receiving these Yogarajan said that knowing the area police and the local government dry rations as promised. difficulties of the people, he could not authorities of the area and is required On 12 April, one such incident was bring himself to sell the dry rations to them to co-ordinate that effort. These donors reported in which people had received news as they were affected financially by the sometimes also reach out to the priests of of dry rations being distributed, following pandemic. Therefore, he and his team are the village temple.” which they flocked to their village temple, unable to distribute the dry rations for free, Gunsainghe reiterated that, so far, the Midigama Sri Sudarshanaramaya, in which has caused them to rot as it is not Government is only providing the Rs. hopes of receiving a bag of essentials. The being stored properly. 5,000 allowance and bags of essentials that dry rations had been handed over to the Yogarajan pointed out that dry rations could be purchased at an affordable rate Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha by a private have already been distributed to low- through Sathosa outlets. company to be distributed among the people income families in the Anuradhapura of the area. all the dry rations that were donated by Nuwara Eliya Pradeshiya Sabha at a cost and Mihintale Pradeshiya Sabhas and he Facilitation only The Chief Incumbent of the temple, the private company, which was to be of Rs. 2.4 million has started to perish, requested that the Governor of the Central “The Government did not commit however, said that people gathered without distributed free of charge. according to people of Nuwara Eliya. Provincial Council grant them permission to distribute free dry rations and it is any prior notice being issued. “The temple Weligama Pradheshiya Sabha member Dry rations including coconuts, big to distribute these stocked dry rations free at present, only accommodating and bell was rung and people had gathered at the Pushpakumara Beddage, in response to the onions, and garlic are said to have started of charge among the selected low-income facilitating the process to supply the public temple.

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