May 4 (FT) SL detected over 1,000 COVID-19 patients for the seventh consecutive day with health authorities confirming that 1,923 persons tested positive for the virus yesterday. Among the patients detected yesterday are 1,913 persons linked to the New Year cluster, which has a total patient count of 17,153. The Peliyagoda cluster has 82,785 patients linked to it, the Prisons cluster has 4,830 patients linked to it, and more..

May 4 (TM) The Govt will have to reduce the number of Sri Lankan returnees from abroad requesting quarantine at state-run facilities, owing to a reduction in the number of govt quarantine centres, The Morning learnt. “Govt-run quarantine centres which are utilised by returnees would have to be converted into intermediary treatment facilities to treat Covid-19-positive patients,” State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle told The Morning yesterday (3). more..

May 4 (FT) The number of COVID-19 deaths in the country rose to 709 with health authorities confirming 13 more deaths yesterday. A 70-year-old individual from Ja-Ela who died of acute COVID pneumonia and high blood pressure at a private hospital in Colombo, an 82-year-old individual from Malabe who died of COVID-19 with pneumonia at IDH, and a 68-year-old individual from Nittambuwa who died of COVID lung infection at the Watupitiwela Base Hospital, more..

May 4 (TM) Shortage of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and extraction reagents will cause problems in the coming days, SL Association of Govt Medical Laboratory Technologists (SLAGMLT) claimed. SLAGMLT Prez Ravi Kumudesh said that reason for this shortage is the fault of supply chain management. “We would suggest having a supply chain management committee to overcome this problem. more..

May 4 (FT) What is needed at the moment is a national tourism policy. So many views and opinions are being expressed by past and present industry leaders against repealing the Tourism Act. Only a few and Govt officials are of the view that the act needs to be changed due to the fact that it has not reaped enough social benefits to become sustainable. The Tourism Act was enacted in the 1960s, and it was repealed in 2005 and implemented in 2007. more..

May 4 (FT) In the far away days of our youth, when our universe did not go beyond the shorelines of this little country, when everything was real and all things were possible, the Mahaweli Project was the magic wand, the multi-purpose development program that would make the country flow with milk and honey. From ancient times agriculture was our mainstay; industries, trading or exploration did not interest the inhabitants except as rudimentary activities. Mahaweli being primarily an agricultural more..

May 4 (DM) The Govt has decided to revise the periods of holding the G.C.E. O/L, A/L Exams and rendering the opportunities to obtain the first-degree qualification within a minimum time frame through minimizing the time spent to select State Universities. Cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said due to the extended period consumed to issue O/L and A/L and beginning of the A/L classes, as well as the time spent to select students for State Universities, more..

May 4 (DN) Writ Petition filed by Uruwarige Wannila Aththo, the leader of the indigenous population known as Veddas, challenging the clearing of the lands at Pollebedda-Rambakan Oya was yesterday fixed for support by Court of Appeal. Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justice (President) Arjuna Obeysekera and Justice Mayadunne Corea fixed the matter for support on July 13. The Mahaweli Development Authority was given further time to present its report including a plan more..

May 4 (DM) The SL Air Force to procure four MI-17 Helicopters under the Russian Military Credit Facility as a result of years of negotiations between the Govt of Russia and SL. SLAF Spokesman said the four aircraft are expected to be procured by the SLAF for future UN peacekeeping operations and it is confident that SL will be able to repay the loan with the foreign exchange earned by contributing to the operation. more..

May 4 (Island) A 56-year-old man had been arrested at Eravur for promoting the LTTE ideology through social media, police spokesman, DIG Ajith Rohana said. He said that the suspect had been identified as Navaneethanpillai alias Theatre Mohan, a resident of Chenkaladi, Eravur. He was arrested by the Eravur Police under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). DIG Rohana said the suspect had been found to be involved in 14 criminal activities, in the Batticaloa,Karadiyanaru,Eravur Police areas. more..

May 4 (EN) The cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to open 500 outdoor gymnasiums at a cost of Rs 625 million to inculcate an active lifestyle in SL’s youth. The move is expected to provide a catalyst for progress in the field of sports. A trainer will be available in each outdoor gym. The project aims to cater to 100,000 members and 5,000 professional athletes each year. The responsibility of running these centres will be delegated to youth and sports clubs at the local level. more..

May 4 (EN) Sri Lanka has ordered more oxygen cylinders as the number of Coronavirus patients admitted to hospitals began to rise in a third wave, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. Sri Lanka’s hospital system currently has 24,000 medical oxygen cylinders and 4,000 jumbo cylinders. She said the problem is not oxygen but cylinders to store oxygen to distribute throughout the country. more..

May 4 (EN) SL’s unutilised, USD 104 million Lotus Tower must be made to accommodate high-dependency units (HDUs) to treat the country’s rapidly increasing COVID-19 patients, former Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said. Speaking in Parliament today, Senaratne requested the government to not add beds for COVID-19 treatment to regular hospitals that provide tertiary care as there will be a risk of infection in those hospitals. The seven-storey Millennium Ward Complex more..

May 4 (AD) The National War Heroes Flag was pinned on Prez Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today, declaring the War Heroes Commemoration Month. Acting Chairperson of the Ranaviru Seva Authority Sonia Kottegoda pinned the War Heroes Flag on the President. The War Heroes’ Month commemorates the brave war heroes who sacrificed their lives for a free and independent country by putting an end to the terrorism that ravaged the country for more than 3 decades. more..

May 4 (TM) Leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake today stated that danger lies in the Govt’s haste to enforce the Port City Economic Commission Bill. He accused the Govt of having an underlying objective from the very beginning of the formation of the Bill. MP stated that there is no room for a formal discussion in society about this Bill. “For example, the Govt introduced this Bill in Parliament on Apr 8. more..

May 4 (TM) A decision has been taken to reopen the Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre for trading from tomorrow (5), under strict health guidelines. The economic centre would be opened for trading from 5.00 a.m. tomorrow. Major General Nishantha Manage, the Matale District Coordinating Officer for Covid-19 control, stated that permission would be granted to temporarily open the economic centre from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow (5), under strict health conditions. more..

May 4 (DM) A total number of 205 people have lost their lives and 1,254 received injuries in 1,959 road accidents reported across the country within the month of April alone, the Police said. According to the statistics, the highest number of accidents were reported in the month of April in comparison to other months of the year, especially during the Sinhala and Hindu New Year seasonal break. The highest number of accidents which stood at 768, were reported from the Western Province. more..

May 4 (EN) SL’s hotels which were struggling amid a Coronavirus pandemic had received another blow as authorities cancelled weddings and parties to control fast expanding Covid-19 wave. May to July is considered the wedding season in SL with astrologers usually finding auspicious times or neketh on Thursday and Friday. SL clamped down Coronavirus controls after celebrating freely despite warnings from more..

May 4 (SLN) By virtue of special patrols being conducted in the sea area close to the Palk Strait these days to prevent illegal immigrants from entering SL waters, the Navy was able to prevent 11 Indian fishing vessels with 86 individuals, from their suspicious attempt to enter into Sri Lankan waters today. The Navy has stepped up security in the northwestern and northern waters by increasing 24-hour patrols, as there is a risk of the surge in the transmission of COVID 19 pandemic in SL more..

May 4 (EN) SL based Hela Clothing group said its units in Kenya had turned to make personal protective equipment during a Coronavirus pandemic keeping staff in work and earning praise from Prez Uhuru Kenyatta. Hela Clothing said during the pandemic it had shifted to PPE generating over 2,000 jobs and paid all non-executive staff full salaries and also gave a relief payment for 8,000 staff. Firm said it accounted for 15% of Kenya’s apparel exports having started operations more..

May 4 (Island) JJB lawmaker Dr. Harini Amarasuriya says the Parliament has to be reformed. The Parliament is necessary and the urgent need is to make it stronger, the civil society activist asserts. Dr. Amarasuriya said so in response to The Island query how she felt about the failure on the part of the Parliament to guarantee financial discipline, as a first time entrant into parliamentary politics and a member of the COPA. more..

May 4 (AD) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena today requested all MPs to adhere with the health guidelines issued by the country’s health authorities in light of the prevailing COVID -19 situation within the country. The Speaker urged all MPs to follow the health guidelines when working outside Parliament as well. The announcement made is as follows; “Special attention was given to the current COVID 19 situations within the country at the Committee on Parliamentary Business held on 30th of April. more..

May 4 (DM) Following the records received by the Ministry of Labour, nearly 15,000 people have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic and the govt is responsible for ensuring their welfare, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. He said the employers were bound to pay the employee salaries for those who were infected with the virus and for those who were unable to report for their duties. "If not, the private employers should inform the Labour Department and request permission to pay more..

May 4 (DM) Trend of identifying COVID patients in the country seemed to be going out of hand at present, SL Medical Association (SLMA) President Dr. Padma Gunaratne said. She said the authorities should take this seriously and take pertinent action without further delay in order to nip this at the bud. “When 1,800 plus COVID patients are detected daily, there are three to four times that number undetected in the community,” more..

May 4 (MFA) In line with the recent guidelines issued by the health authorities due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation, the Consular Affairs Division of the Foreign Ministry limits its operating hours from 7.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. daily. The Consular Affairs Division will prioritize its services to those in urgent/genuine need during the coming weeks. The consular services, except in the cases of deaths of Sri Lankans overseas and attestation of export documents and related certificates, more..

May 4 (GN) A Sri Lankan expat is the latest Big Ticket millionaire. Mohammed Mishfak, 36, working as a sales professional for a private company in Dubai won the mega jackpot taking home Dh12 million. Speaking to Gulf News from Sri Lanka where Mishfak is vacationing with his family, the draw winner said he was excited with the win. “I can’t breathe or think straight! I have been receiving so many calls on my mobile.” Mishfak shares his winning ticket with 20 other people. more..

May 4 (EN) Parliament will not debate the controversial Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill tomorrow as previously planned, NewsFirst, reported quoting Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. Party leaders have agreed to postpone the debate indefinitely as parliament has yet to receive the Supreme Court’s verdict on the bill. Eighteen petitions have been filed in Supreme Court against the bill, with detractors calling more..

May 4 (DM) The approval on the usage of Pfizer vaccines in the country will be delivered soon, after considering the relevant details, Dr. Rajeeva De Silva, a member of the Panel of Experts on COVID vaccines said today. He said that they had been forwarded the details with regard to the Pfizer vaccine and added those details would be taken into consideration when giving the approval. The 8-member panel earlier gave approval on the usage of AstraZeneca & Sputnik vaccines in SL. more..

May 4 (AP) SL has received its first batch of the Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. The 15,000 doses were flown in early hours of Tuesday to the Indian ocean island nation which is struggling to obtain COVID-19 vaccines because of the delay in getting them from the neighboring India. SL has ordered 13 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from the Russia’s Gamaleya Institute. State Minister Channa Jayasuma, and officials from the Russian embassy were present at BIA to receive the vaccines. more..

May 4 (EN) No political influence was used in the sudden lifting of a lockdown in Piliyandala, Sri Lanka, amid a COVID-19 outbreak, Minister Ramesh Pathirana said. The Piliyandala police division was isolated last Saturday (01) reportedly due to a high incidence of COVID-19 cases in the area, only for the isolation to be lifted the next day. However, Dampe, Batakeththara North, Pellanwatta West and East, Kesbewa South, Makandana East, more..

May 4 (EN) Sri Lanka hopes to vaccinate 63% of the population with vaccines now on order and 8.7 million doses expected from the World Health Organization Covax facility, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. Sri Lanka has also ordered 13 million Sputnik doses from Russia, the first 15,000 doses of which arrived on May 03. Sri Lanka has also ordered from Pfizer. “From the Covax facility we will get 8.7 million AstraZeneca doses,” Minister Wanniaracchi told parliament. more..

May 4 (AD) The results of 2020 GCE A/L Exam have been released online. Accordingly, the candidates who sat for the 2020 A/L exam can now access the results through the official website of the Dept of Examinations – www.doenets.lk As many as 194,297 candidates (64.39%) have qualified for university entrance, the examinations chief stated. A total of 301,771 candidates – including 277,625 from the new syllabus and 24,146 from the old syllabus – sat for 3 main subjects of the exam last year. more..

May 4 (CT) The employed population decreased to 7.999 million in 2020 from 8.181 million in 2019, a fall of 182,000 (2.22%), CB 2020 Annual Report stated. However, total public sector employment increased by 61,000 to 1.528 million at end 2020 compared to 1.467 million in 2019. This includes employees in ministries, departments, district secretariats, divisional secretariats, provincial councils & semi-govt institutions. more..

May 5 (TM) Govt is retaining its import restriction initiative adopted after the pandemic hit us last year, and it makes sense that such an approach was adopted. However, this situation has led to certain shortages in specific items – and tyres are one of them. Of course, import restrictions on luxury goods – and even vehicles, make a great deal of sense at a time such as this. Our exports are crippled due to adverse market conditions. Tourism is virtually non-existent. It’s not business as usual. more..

May 5 (DM) May 1, 2021 marked the second time in our country’s history, since workers’ day was first commemorated in Sri Lanka in 1927, that workers of this country were unable to come out in force, to collectively demonstrate worker power. The Covid-19 pandemic effectively put paid to that. Labour Day was first held in then Ceylon in 1927 under the leadership of A.E. Gunasingha. The demonstrations started from Price Park and the rally was held ultimately at the Galle Face Green. more..

May 5 (DM) Throughout history, with the fall of ancient SL kingdoms, the decline of the island nation’s giant irrigation systems was inevitable. However, the small scale irrigation systems and the associated agrarian lifestyle of the village survived the tests of time. One researcher believes that the reason for its survival was the austerity of the irrigation system, complemented by the simplicity of the sustainable village lifestyle, rooted deep more..

May 5 (CT) Coconut has been cultivated in the country from ancient time first to be consumed as young coconuts and later to pluck mature nuts mainly for oil. Sesame was the source of cooking oil till then in the dry zone Rajarata. It was replaced with coconut oil after the drift to the south west in 1215 following the invasion of Kalinga Magha. Sinhala Kings cultivated large extents of coconut land in the south west not only for local consumption but also for export. more..

May 5 (DM) Electricity plays a major role in the development of a country. Many development activities are currently underway including construction of powerhouses targeted to provide electricity to everyone. However, if these projects, irrespective of their usefulness, destroy the environment even prior to them being used, such projects cannot be accepted. Broadlands Hydropower Project (BHP) close to Katalian area located in 134 GN Division in Kitulgala South more..

May 5 (DM) The COVID-19 has affected SL’s health sector, the national economy and most industries while totally disrupting the way of life of all Sri Lankans like many other nations. We discussed the present situation regarding the unprecedented health threat and its future impact on the country with State Minister of primary health care, epidemics & COVID disease control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle. more..