PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HEALTH, COVID-19 VITALITY, AND ACTIVE CASES TOTAL CASES IMMUNITY MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021 FOR MILLENNIUMIT ‘DADA’ 44,774 2021 CELEBRATES 25TH IS DEATHS RECOVERED ANNIVERSARY FINE 7,311 THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE CONFIRMED UP 213 37,252 »SEE PAGE 5 »SEE PAGE 4 »SEE PAGE 7 UNTIL 10.00 P.M. ON 3 JANUARY 2021 SOURCE: HEALTH PROMOTION BUREAU TOURISM PILOT PROJECT SLTDA admits protocol breached z DG says guidelines not followed z Meeting today with Tourism Minister BY DINITHA RATHNAYAKE with all the safety measures in place yesterday, Minister Ranatunga said the were suggested, but only four of the local response to the pilot project had The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has suggested hotels had been utilised, been positive. admitted that there have been shortcomings in the ongoing with the other being ignored by the tour “We kicked-off this pilot programme tourism pilot project which brought tourists from Ukraine, and operators. When asked as to who is to last week and we have already had a good that it will hold a meeting with Minister of Tourism Prasanna blame for the alleged violations of health response from tourists and the people Ranatunga today (4) to rectify the issues. protocols and quarantine regulations, who work in the tourism industry, as most Wijesinghe said that this was not the of the drivers and the tourist guides have “The tourism industry has to be it came to practical implementation, time to place blame. also given their support to it.” opened somehow and therefore, it was there were shortcomings. Within “We accept that there were Meanwhile, a group of drivers who Ukrainian tourists at the decided that it could be done through tomorrow (today), we will have a airport on arrival in to Sri Lanka shortcomings. But what we should do took the visiting Ukrainian tourists on a a pilot project. But the agreement was discussion with the Minister and all the now is not point fingers at anyone. We safari in Yala complained that they have to follow proper health guidelines. organisers of the tour,” SLTDA Director can’t keep the tourism industry closed not been informed beforehand about a We provided the guidelines to all the General Dhammika Wijesinghe told issued for the first group of Ukrainian was to have a bio-bubble, isolated forever. We must fix the wrongs and 14-day mandatory quarantine which they organisers and hotels. Unfortunately, The Morning yesterday (3). tourists before arriving, where all from the outside world. She added move forward.” have to undergo following the safari. we saw through social media that when Wijesinghe said that a protocol was security was guaranteed, and the plan that in the SLTDA protocol, five hotels However, speaking to The Morning Contd. on page 2 WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU HELMETS... Calls to mental health hotline double in 2020 BY PAMODI WARAVITA which is almost double the number z Suicide, of 13,092 interventions in 2019. The number of mental health “During the first lockdown period relationship- interventions conducted via the 1926 from March to June, we conducted related calls national mental health helpline had over 9,000 interventions,” she said. doubled from its 2019 full-year 2020 was a year marred by nearly tripled figure in the first 11 months of unprecedented nationwide lockdowns 2020, jumping from 13,000 to nearly resulting from the outbreak of the 26,000. Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Ranasinghe Speaking to The Morning, National revealed that the NIMH recorded z Alcohol- Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 4,100 interventions during March related calls consultant psychiatrist Dr. Pushpa 2020, with the earlier monthly Ranasinghe said the number of average being around 1,500. go down interventions totalled 25,965 in 2020, Contd. on page 2 TEACHER APPOINTMENTS Free pads for Lecturers 800,000 students ‘scaring off’ A former tourist driver, now deprived of work due to the absence of tourists, making an alternate living by guarding the helmets of motorcyclists visiting Galle Face Green and the nearby shopping mall within this year PHOTO SAMAN ABESIRIWARDANA students z Several local companies express interest BY HIRANYADA DEWASIRI Medical activists The Ministry of Education is Wickramadara further Coconut triangle Certain lecturers from national colleges planning to provide free sanitary stated that the Government of education have been attempting napkins to approximately 800,000 Medical Officers’ Association want cannabis to “scare off” diploma holders from schoolchildren through a three- (GMOA) would be monitoring ‘relocated’ partaking in a protest scheduled to be stage project this year, with priority the implementation of this law relaxed The famous “Coconut and the rapid population growth.” conducted today (4) at 10 a. m., the to be given to schoolchildren programme in each district. Triangle” – the area between Sri Lanka’s coconut harvest Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) in rural areas, according to the According to Wickramadara, a BY SUMUDU CHAMARA Puttalam, Kurunegala, and has dwindled over the years, alleged. Ministry. few Sri Lankan companies that Colombo, from which a major and the country has to import Speaking to The Morning yesterday Speaking to The Morning, produce sanitary napkins have A group of indigenous medical activists part of Sri Lanka’s coconut processed coconuts to produce (3), CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Media Secretary to the Ministry already approached the Ministry has called for the relaxation of local laws production originates – has now pure virgin coconut oil, according Jayasinghe said: “Threats are being of Education Buddhika of Education to provide these pertaining to cannabis in light of the decision been shifted due to urbanisation to Edirimanne. “The total circulated that these diploma holders Wickramadara said that this is products at a low cost, but no taken by the United Nations Commission and industrialisation, according annual coconut production in will not receive their formal appointments part of its Health and Nutrition company has been selected yet. on Narcotics Drugs (CND) to remove to the Coconut Development the island ranges from 3,000 to in time if they take part in the protest. Programme, and the priority given “We are cautious, since we cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Authority (CDA). 3,085 million nuts, according These are hollow threats.” to rural schools, is due to them do not want to provide low- Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Speaking to The Morning to CDA statistics in 2019, and The CTSU protest, which will be facing greater issues with the quality sanitary napkins to Contd. on page 2 yesterday (3), CDA Acting consumption of coconuts is 150 held in front of Isurupaya today, is to affordability and accessibility of schoolchildren. Director of Processing million per month. Domestic demand the assignment of schools for sanitary napkins. We would be consulting Development P. Edirimanne demand for coconuts in Sri Lanka teachers based on the criteria through “The programme would then the Health Ministry before told that the Coconut Triangle is around 100 million,” he said. which they were admitted to national focus on mid-level schools. proceeding,” he said.When No decision has been shifted to Chilaw, According to the Sri Lanka colleges of education and protest the Finally, the provision of free questioned on the distribution Gampaha, and Dambulla. Export Development Board Ministry’s alleged failure to make these sanitary napkins to urban schools process of sanitary napkins to “This is due to the impact (EDB), Sri Lanka was the fourth appointments before 31 December 2020 would be discussed. However, the children, Wickramadara said on Air Force of industrialisation. Most of largest exporter of coconut as promised. we hope to provide free sanitary that initial discussions have not the coconut fields have been products to the world as of 2017. Contd. on page 2 napkins to all schoolchildren who yet covered the topic. destroyed due to urbanisation Contd. on page 2 need them before the end of this Contd. on page 2 teachers year,” he said. The Ministry of Education has not arrived at a decision regarding the use of Air Force personnel to teach mathematics and IT in rural schools, despite reports to the contrary Over 2,500 tourists coming from Russia on certain websites and social media, The Morning learnt. z Tourism Minister buoyant despite Ukraine flak Responding to our inquiries, Secretary to the Ministry of Education Prof. Kapila The Government is planning to facilitate given their support towards it.” tight nationwide lockdowns this month to stop tourists can visit, which are Sri Dalada Perera said yesterday (3) that the idea of the arrival of 2,580 tourists from Russia, However, the Government has come under the rapid spread of the virus. Furthermore, Maligawa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Minneriya deploying Air Force personnel to teach Ukraine, and other regional countries by 19 heavy fire from the Opposition for the manner while Sri Lanka has banned travel from National Park, Yala National Park, Horton in rural schools was merely a suggestion January based on the success of the tourism in which it has conducted the pilot project, with the UK following the detection of a new Plains National Park, Pinnawala Elephant made by Air Force Commander Air Marshal reopening pilot project so far, according to allegations about violations of health protocols. and potentially more dangerous variant of Orphanage, Udawalawe National Park, Sudarshana Pathirana. Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga. The selection of Ukraine for the pilot project Covid-19 being detected in the country, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Royal Botanical “The Air Force Commander made this “We kicked-off this pilot programme has also been criticised, as the Eastern European Ukraine is yet to ban travel from the UK. Gardens, and Peradeniya, and they can suggestion while he was seated next to me.