By Saman Indrajith

The JVP yesterday said it had decided to cancel its May Day rally in view of the pandemic situation. It warned that the shortage of beds in intensive care units would lead to disaster if there was an upsurge of COVID patients.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary and MP Vijitha Herath said that the capitalist parties that ruled the country for over 70 years had been able to buy only 700 ICU beds.

“This is an indication of the situation with regard to the health standards of this country.  After seven decades, there are only 700 ICU beds.  The rich may get a chance to enter into an ICU of a private hospital but what about the poor?”

Herath said that the highest number of COVID cases found so far from the country was reported on Tuesday. “The number of patients is dependent on the amount of PCR tests so the number of patients found is relative to the number of tests. For example, the number of patients recorded was fewer in the recent past because the number of PCR tests had been decreased. Now, the number of patients dying a day is increasing. One patient died at Mawanella hospital because there was no ICU bed. This is a pathetic situation.

“The government has purposely given up its control over the pandemic while doctors and health authorities kept warning against it.  The government prior to the New Year wanted to show that the patients and deaths due to COVID were low. So, it decreased the number of PCR tests and lifted travel restrictions. People too lowered their guard and we are where we are. Doctors issued warnings one after the other that there would be an upsurge of COVID after the New Year, but nobody gave two hoots about it.

“We have decided to cancel our plans for the May Day celebrations  and to conduct a live telecast to mark the international workers’ day starting from 10 am via the internet,” the MP said.