SPOTLIGHT ON INTRA AND INTER TERMINAL PARTY CONFLICTS LAUNCH IN AUGUST RS. 80.00 PAGES 64 / SECTIONS 6 VOL. 02 – NO. 42 SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2020 TIGHT RACE FOR SPECIAL CLOGGED PREFERENTIAL PRICE WITH VOTES Rs. 60.00 CONTROVERSY »SEE PAGES 8 & 9 »SEE PAGE 4 »SEE PAGE 7 »SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1 For verified information on the GENERAL PREVENTIVE GUIDELINES COVID-19 LOCAL CASES COVID-19 CASES coronavirus (Covid-19) contact any of the IN THE WORLD following authorities ACTIVE CASES TOTAL CASES 1999 TOTAL CASES Health Promotion Bureau 2,451 Suwasariya Quarantine Unit 0112 112 705 12,434,907 Ambulance Service Epidemiology Unit 0112 695 112 DEATHS RECOVERED Govt. coronavirus hotline 0113071073 Wash hands with soap Wear a commercially Maintain a minimum Use gloves when shopping, Use traditional Sri Lankan Always wear a mask, avoid DEATHS RECOVERD 1990 for 40-60 seconds, or rub available mask/cloth mask distance of 1 metre using public transport, etc. greeting at all times crowded vehicles, maintain PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL TASK FORCE FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES hands with alcohol-based or a surgical mask if showing from others, especially in and discard into a lidded instead of handshaking, distance, and wash hands 11 1980 558,416 7,252,605 Telephone 0114354854, 0114733600 Fax 0112333066, 0114354882 handrub for 20-30 seconds respiratory symptoms public places bin lined with a bag hugging, and/or kissing before and after travelling 460 Hotline 0113456200-4 Email [email protected] THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE CONFIRMED UP UNTIL 10.30 P.M. ON 10 JULY 2020 COVID-19 PCR TESTING J’pura Uni lab pulls out BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA z DGHS denies allegation of discounting positive results Disappointed about the Government dismissing their The University of Jayewardenepura’s carried out by the University’s Dengue accuracy,” sources alleged. the “false positives” are not added to positive Covid-19 test results as false positives, the reasons for the discontinuation of testing Research Centre, which began conducting There have been many instances the number of total cases in Sri Lanka. University of Sri Jayewardenepura Dengue Research Centre were revealed to The Sunday Morning real-time PCR testing for the Health where positive test results from the Additionally, sources noted the has decided to discontinue PCR testing on behalf of the by an University official on Friday (10). Ministry during the Covid-19 curfew. Sri Jayewardenepura University were Ministry of Health now having adequate A key reason for its withdrawal “We are disappointed with the recent later identified as false positives with new facilities to conduct the required Government, while the Government noted that the reason was allegedly due to the fact that the efforts by the Ministry of Health to the individuals being retested and those number of tests as another reason for it ended the collaboration was that the State is now in authorities had intentionally overlooked ignore the positive cases reported by us tests coming out negative, most notably its withdrawal. possession of sufficient facilities to conduct all PCR tests. positive Covid-19 test results from tests when we have confirmed it with 100% in the Jinthupitiya incident. Therefore, Contd. on page 2 Test run SOLAR POWER CONTAMINANTS IN IMPORTED FRUITS GMOA slams CEB back No system to test Govt. on The Ministry of Agriculture is mechanism to evaluate the presence yet to act on the recommendations of heavy metals and carcinogens Kandakadu that were presented through a in imported fruits, The Sunday to bidding report in 2017, on implementing a Morning learnt. BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA Contd. on page 2 The Government Medical Officers’ The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has gone Association (GMOA) lashed out back to competitive bidding for solar power at the Ministry of Health over its tariffs, despite Minister of Power and Energy irresponsibility which led to the Mahinda Amaraweera appealing for fixed prices outbreak of the largest Covid-19 cluster to be set for renewable energy and abandoning in the country. competitive bidding in January. The newest cluster formed at the Contd. on page 2 Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre is said to be the largest to date. PRISON RAIDS As of Friday (10) evening, the authorities were unable to uncover the carrier to the rehabilitation centre or determine More mobile the total number of already infected persons, according to the GMOA. Contd. on page 2 phones found The Department of Prisons said that the continuous raids carried out by its special GENERAL ELECTION 2020 operations units had discovered 12 mobile phones in the Negombo Prison gully. Foreign monitors Contd. on page 2 coming uninvited CBSL to crack Despite the Election Commission (EC) not inviting foreign election monitors for the upcoming election, some foreign election the whip observers were to arrive in the island of The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has their own accord. appointed a three-member committee to examine EC Director General Saman Sri Ratnayake and report on the irregularities and illegal told The Sunday Morning that the Asian activities of the finance and finance leasing Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) A test run was carried out on Friday (10) at the PCR test lab that was businesses, and to make recommendations to could be coming to observe the election. recently declared open at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) curtail such activities. Contd. on page 2 PHOTO PRADEEP DAMBARAGE Contd. on page 2 Gold reserves down 50% 80,000 ‘lockdown As gold prices increased by almost $ 600 million was $ 954.88 million worth last week, the gold reserves this year. of gold reserves held by of the Central Bank of Sri CBSL data shows that on Sri Lanka. babies’ unregistered Lanka (CBSL) have dropped 31 December 2019, there Contd. on page 2 BY SARAH HANNAN Department was unable to record these births in order to issue birth Repatriation to continue The Family Health Bureau certificates to these newborns, recently said that a staggering 80,000 placing the new parents in an The repatriation process will Gunawardena asserted that the Government has been births have gone unregistered, owing inconvenient situation. not stop as the Government the operations will continue. very careful. That’s why we to the lockdown imposed at the peak “Ideally, a new birth needs to be believes that adequate steps “We are confident that we have been able to manage the of the Covid-19 outbreak. entered into the registry within 42 are being taken to contain the are managing the situation situation. That’s why we are Between the months of March days of the child’s birth. domestic Covid-19 outbreak. well. Sri Lanka has followed confident we will continue to and May, the Registrar General’s Contd. on page 2 Minister of Foreign the medical and health manage the situation.” Relations Dinesh regulations and advice, while Contd. on page 2 WITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER 2 the sunday morning NEWS Sunday, July 12, 2020 Contd. from page 1 time, we urged the Government for renewable energy, the CEB power, which will have severe of the prison had brought these J’pura Uni... to set up a testing mechanism Chairman stressed that unit prices negative impacts on the industry mobile phones to give to the GMOA “As the Government has where an analysis report was to of solar power had drastically as well as on the Sri Lankan inmates. slams... established more labs, it now has be done at the port of export and reduced over the years and that economy as a whole.” During the previous raids too, the ability to conduct the necessary when it arrived in Sri Lanka, competitive bidding would help “We have reason to believe several contraband items were They alleged that the technical amount of daily tests.” another analysis was to be carried the CEB to purchase solar power a group of officials supporting confiscated. committee meeting held during When contacted for comment, out before it was cleared by at the market rate. the diesel and coal mafia are – Sarah Hannan the lockdown failed to meet as Director General of Health Customs,” Dissanayake noted. “The price of a unit of attempting a conspiracy to disrupt usual. Services (DGHS) Dr. Anil Most of these heavy metals solar power at present, with local entrepreneurship in the GMOA Assistant Secretary Jasinghe confirmed the ending of and carcinogens were present competitive bidding, is between solar industry and to change 80,000 Dr. Naveen De Soyza said that the partnership but attributed it in imported fruits and when the Rs. 12 and Rs. 15. Currently, the government policy in a subtle ‘lockdown... prior to the newly found cluster purely to the recently enhanced analysis was carried out on local CEB is paying Rs. 22 per unit, way so that they can bring in in Kandakadu, there were only testing capacity of the Ministry produce, the institute had found which is more expensive than the long-term emergency power at a However, the lockdown has Navy personnel and Sri Lankan of Health. out that only the Jaffna grapes market price,” he said, adding huge cost to the country,” the SIA created a lapse in entering the repatriates infected with Covid- “The Jayewardenepura lab had a high concentration of that the price reduction was not alleged. details, thus creating a backlog 19. decided to stop testing for us and heavy metal in them. something which had been done According to them, the rooftop of work for the Department as “We as an association we have ample testing labs to do He pointed out that most often, by the CEB, but is a result of a solar industry has thus far created well.