Mar 22 (ST) The local governing body for motorsports, the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS) has decided to indefinitely postpone two of the country’s oldest hill climb event – Mahagastota Hill Climb and Radella Hill Climb, in consideration of the global pandemic, COVID-19. This decision comes as a precaution with the growing number of patients being affected in Sri Lanka, which may vary in numbers in weeks to follow, according to a senior official of SLAS. The Secretary of SLAS, more..

Mar 22 (ST) In a bid to help companies and workers prepare for remote working amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRC) has got operators to provide subsidised/no charge data packages, TRC officials said. “Many people are working from home. As such we got the operators to introduce special packages to double up data. Now there will be more data usage and certain operators aren’t more..

Mar 22 (ST) Religious festivals in the north were brought to a halt this week with the threat of coronavirus. Nainativu (Nagadeepa) Nagapoosani Amman Temple Trustee announced that all special poojas were cancelled until further notice. Normally, every Monday during the Tamil month of Panguni (Mar-Apr), special Pongal prayers are held in the temples, especially at the Panrithalaichi Amman Kovil in Madduvil, Chavakacheri, and the Vatrapalai Kannaki Amman Kovil in Mullaitivu. more..

Mar 22 (AD) Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya requests the govt to convene an All Party Conference on the situation arisen in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He requests from Prez, PM and the Govt to convene an All Party Conference to consider the views and reach collective decisions in the national effort to overcome the present catastrophe. He says that a feature of responsible governance is to unite the whole citizenry to achieve one zeal in overcoming more..

Mar 22 (ST) Between 8,000 and 9,000 Sri Lankans who were poised to travel aboard on foreign employment are now stuck in limbo—with most having given up their local jobs—and may soon start demanding refunds from agents who are also helpless in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Our trade is in tatters,” said P.S. Selvaratnam, Assistant Secretary of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agents more..

Mar 22 (ST) A steep rise observed in dengue cases—a massive 17,868 cases between January and March this year–could worsen the burden on the country’s healthcare sector if efforts to stamp out the vector do not continue, experts said. The number of cases this year is a marked increase of 35 percent when compared with the 13,148 cases reported between January and March last year, according to an analysis of a situation report released by the Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 22 (NR) A second inmate has died in a shooting at the Anuradhapura Prison complex. An unrest broke out when a group of prison officials attempted to bring under control a protest by A'pura Prison inmates. Inmates had attempted to break out of prison and flee. Prison officials had subsequently opened fire to prevent a breakout. Five inmates sustained injuries and were admitted to the A'pura Hospital. Two inmates later succumbed. Police said no inmate was able to break out of Prison. more..

Mar 22 (EN) Sri Lanka will turn the building of a former Voice of America relay station into a COVID-19 hospital, as part of efforts to accommodate an increase in patients, a high level task force that drive Coronavirus control activities in the country said. Sri Lanka has designated 18 hospitals to accept COVID-19 patients, but most of the confirmed patients are treated at the main infectious disease hospital in Colombo. more..

Mar 22 (ST) Usually when Sri Lankans living in Italy return home for the holidays it’s a time for parties and trips with family members. But this time it’s different, with many of them living in isolation, anxious that they may have contracted the globally rampaging coronavirus. Newton Pathriana, a father of three, was aware that the situation was worsening in Italy, but he decided to return to SL from Naples. He came here on Mar 7, just two days before all returnees were put under quarantine. more..

Mar 22 (AD) Board of Directors of Citrus Waskaduwa (Waskaduwa Beach Resort) taking into account the current crisis faced by the nation decided to offer its 150 roomed resort, Citrus Waskaduwa to be used as a Quarantine Center by National Operations to Prevent Covid – 19 on a temporary basis, should the need arise. In the event that the Authorities decide to use the resort temporarily, resort will be completely decontaminated in keeping with int'l more..

Mar 22 (ST) A patient with a complaint of chest pain enters a hospital. A well-known heart specialist who examines him asks whether he had returned from abroad. Without batting an eye lid, he says no. He develops fever and cough in the ward where he is kept for observation. Nursing staff hurriedly contact the patient’s family and learn that the man had returned from Italy, where within a span of 48 hrs, more than 1,200 have been killed more..

Mar 22 (DM) Former Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara said he is in self-quarantine following his return to the island from London, earlier this month. “I am under self-quarantine. I have no symptoms or anything like that. But I am following govt guidelines,” he said in an interview with a private television channel. The former cricketer said that he arrived in Sri Lanka from London over a week ago. Following the govt advisory for all returning travellers to register themselves, more..

Mar 22 (TM) The employees of SriLankan Airlines are enduring social stigma with the outbreak of Covid-19 as the public has begun to steer clear of them due to concerns they are infected with Covid-19. Airline employees, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the laundry company contracted with SriLankan Airlines to launder uniforms of cabin crew members has stopped accepting their uniforms due to the fear of contracting the virus, while taxi companies more..

Mar 22 (AD) The number of COVID-19 positive cases has gone up to 81 as another patient has been diagnosed with the virus today. Previously, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi stated that 3 patients were found positive with the deadly coronavirus. However, another person has been confirmed to have contracted the virus. Ministry of Health stated 245 persons suspected of having contracted the coronavirus are currently more..

Mar 22 (EN) Sri Lanka’s airport is open for outbound passengers and cargo so far, a top official said, after the last Buddhist pilgrims from India came to the country. “The airport is still operating,” Director Operations Shehan Sumanasekara said. “No incoming flights that are on the way have been asked to stop.” SL ordered airlines to stop boarding inbound passengers from 0400hour March 1900 until March 25, from all locations, but flights were allowed to bring vital cargo more..

Mar 22 (DM) All SL Buddhist pilgrims who were stranded in India have now returned to Sri Lanka. With a total of 48 Buddhist pilgrims returning in the last SriLankan Airlines dedicated flight that departed New Delhi at 05:10 hrs. today before India closed its airports for inward commercial passenger flights, all SL Buddhist pilgrims who were stranded in India have now returned to Sri Lanka. Earlier in the day, another dedicated SriLankan Airlines aircraft that left Chennai at 03:00 hrs. more..

Mar 22 (EN) The National Elections Commission is urging all politicians to suspend their election campaigns and concentrate on combating the COVID19 virus pandemic. In a formal announcement postponing the Parliamentary General elections issued Sunday, which were originally scheduled for April 25, Chief Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya says he also calls upon the parties to refrain from more..

Mar 22 (DM) National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) today requested all retail pharmacy owners not to issue Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine without a valid prescription from a Specialist Medical Officer. NMRA Director General and CEO Dr Kamal Jayasinghe said any person who contravenes this directive or the advice would be considered as having committed an offence and shall be triable under section 131 of the NMRA Act no 5 of 2015. more..

Mar 22 (EN) SL has asked telecom companies to extend credit to customers with most people unable to settle bills or make pre-paid deposits with a three day curfew clamped on the country to counter the spread of Coronavirus. Telecom Regulatory Commission asked telcos to extend credit to post-paid customers and provide emergency credit to pre-paid customers. “On the direction of the Prez, telecom, mobile and direct to home/cable tv operators” have been asked to provide credit, more..

Mar 22 (TM) A total of 630 persons from the Kegalle District were in self-quarantine as of yesterday and are under strict surveillance of public health inspectors (PHIs) as well as the area Police. The situation in the district has escalated following reports of a Warakapola PS member testing positive for the Covid-19 recently. Subsequently, the Warakapola Medical Officer of Health (MOH) had taken measures to alert the public to take more..

Mar 22 (AD) Curfew currently imposed in the districts of Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna in the Northern Province has been extended till 6 a.m. on Tuesday (24). However, it will be re-imposed until further notice at 2 p.m. on the same day, govt announced. Accordingly, the residents of these districts have been prohibited to leave their respective districts. The travel ban will continue to be in effect until all those who visited and associated with the COVID-19 infected pastor more..

Mar 22 (TM) General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva says that their party is closely working with the govt healthcare services and is ready to contribute manpower through its volunteer force, if necessary, to assist in combatting the spread of Covid-19. He further stated that the party had decided to allocate funds from their parliamentary salary fund to purchase medical essentials required by hospitals and quarantine centres located throughout the island. Silva made these remarks during more..

Mar 22 (TM) SL Retailers’ Association (SLRA) and Lanka Sathosa Ltd. have refuted reports of tinned fish and dhal shortages and assured that they had ample stocks and that outlets were working to ensure shelves are restocked for when curfew is lifted. Following the panic buying on Friday (20) morning as a result of the sudden imposition of curfew, several instances in shortages of goods such as canned fish and dhal were reported. more..

Mar 22 (SLN) Navy held approximately 147kg of Kerala cannabis in wet weight, during a special petrol conducted in the seas North of Thalaimannar, today (21). The Navy conducts regular anti-drug operations in the territorial waters of the island to curb the drug smuggling activities across sea routes. Accordingly, Naval personnel attached to the North Central Naval Command carried out a special patrol in seas North of Thalaimannar lighthouse today and spotted 02 suspicious parcels floating on sea. more..

Mar 22 (SKY) Sky Sports statistician Benedict Bermange is using a cricket simulation to play out a Virtual Test Match of the postponed series between Sri Lanka and England. England will be confident of wrapping up a well-earned victory on the final day of the Virtual Test in Galle after Dom Bess' five-wicket haul left them a target of just 148 to beat Sri Lanka. England were 16-0 stumps and require 132 runs on the final day to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. Fourth day provided the most entertaining more..

Mar 22 (TM) Private hospitals are yet to receive the approval of the Ministry of Health to conduct Covid-19 tests, despite an announcement by the Govt last week saying they would be permitted to carry out the tests under stringent conditions. As of yesterday (21) evening, out of the leading private hospitals in Colombo, only Lanka Hospitals in Narahenpita has been conducting the Covid-19 test for patients showing symptoms more..

Mar 22 (NR) 790 persons have been arrested between 6pm on Friday and 5pm today for violating curfew imposed across the island. Police said 154 vehicles including motorbikes and three-wheelers were seized during this period. Police said a majority were arrested on the charge of loitering. Police also stated that individuals were arrested for consuming alcohol in public places, travelling about in vehicles, opening restaurants, unruly behaviour while intoxicated and engaging in trade. more..

Mar 22 (SLN) Navy today commenced expansion of facilities of Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama to treat patients diagnosed with COVID -19. Accordingly, renovation of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Teaching Hospital, Ragama began today and the manpower for construction work was provided by SL Navy, in a bid to swiftly put up necessary facilities to treat the patients diagnosed with COVID -19. A group of civil engineers attached to the Western Naval Command more..

Mar 23 (CT) The world is on a virtual war footing to cope with the unfolding pandemic of the Coronavirus – Covid-19. Sadly humanity is also in the grip of a global pandemic considerably more devastating than the coronavirus. This highly infectious flu has triggered a worldwide contagion of irrational fear and emotion. Man has lost his mind. The ramifications of this universal abdication of reason are vast and unknown. Right now, the world is in total lockdown: Millions of people are in quarantine, more..

Mar 23 (GV) There have been no deaths due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Sri Lanka. The number of confirmed cases per day went down the last two days (20th and 21st). But tragically, yesterday (21), two prisoners in state custody at the Anuradhapura prison were reported to have been killed and several more wounded and hospitalized due to shooting, in tensions linked to COVID-19. Some media reported that the shooting was in the context of protests by prisoners demanding to be released more..

Mar 23 (TM) A few days ago, there was a national outcry over an inhumane incident that took place on 6 March where a student of the Uni of Sri J'pura sustained serious head injuries after being hit by a tyre thrown at him from the top of a staircase. The student was Pasindu Hirushan. Having studied at St. Peter’s College in Udugampola and having passed his A/L exam with three As in 2018, Pasindu enrolled at Uni of Sri J'pura this year. more..

Mar 23 (ST) Notwithstanding the discovery of the first Lankan testing positive for the coronavirus on Lankan soil on March 10 and in spite of reports of another victim the following day, signalling that the COVID had landed and the invasion had begun in full swing, thousands embarked on a three-day binge of cricketing revelry last Thursday; and blithely attended the 141st encounter of the Battle of the Blues, braving closed encounters with the corona kind to keep traditions alive, without giving more..

Mar 23 (ST) Sri Lankans are known for often turning govt announcements and political pronouncement into jokes. That some see as a national trait. Humour after all is not essentially bad. It keeps people and nations alive at the worst of times. There I was isolating myself and contemplating my navel on what best to do next when a SL friend of yore contacted me to ask whether I heard or read Prez Rajapaksa’s address to the nation. Despite the technological advances, news takes time to reach more..

Mar 23 (IPS) The devastating spread of the deadly coronavirus across every continent– with the exception of Antarctica– has triggered a conspiracy theory on social media: what if the virus was really a biological weapon? And more specifically, was it an experimental weapon that accidentally escaped from a laboratory in China? Or as others contend, is it a weapon surreptitiously introduced to de-stabilize a country with more..

Mar 23 (CT) The consensus within the medical scientific community cannot be clearer. There is no medication to treat the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). And there is no vaccine to prevent it. The only weapon against the disease that is available for the next several weeks, even months, is to reduce or prevent community transmission of the virus. All the data on human to human transmission of the virus indicates that transmission occurs primarily through respiratory droplets more..

Mar 23 (RM) It’s been a little over a week since COVID-19 returned to SL. With each passing day, there are more confirmed cases. As the numbers rise, a cloud of uncertainty continues to grow larger. To keep the virus at bay, govt continues to take stricter measures, the latest being an island-wide curfew. Naturally, this has disrupted countless lives. Despite the challenges of the time, several org.s aim to make things easier. Recently, Health Promotion Bureau updated its website. more..

Mar 23 (ST) Every school boy’s dream is to score thousand runs in a season. Nalanda skipper Avishka Perera reached the milestone consecutively in 1918/19 and 1919/20 seasons, becoming the first Nalandian batsman to reach the top. For a school that had produced the majority of national players, young Avishka deserves a special seat among the elite lot. A batsman with a quick eye, fine foot movements and excellent body balance, prefers to go on song without delay. more..

Mar 23 (SO) Information & Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) hosted a virtual meeting on 19th March, with the IT community of Sri Lanka to engage their expertisein leveraging digital technology in the management of Covid-19 response in SL. The call had over 60 participants from key organizations in the IT / BPM industry, who were invited through SLASSCOM and FITIS to join the discussion. During the call, Dr Sanjiva Weerawarna, Director of ICTA, shared more..