PM agrees to permit burial of COVID-19 victims

By Saman Indrajith

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday that the government would permit the burial of Muslims who die of COVID-19.

The PM said so in response to a question raised by SJB Colombo District MP S.M. Marikkar.

 Raising a point of order during the time allocated for questions to be answered by the Prime Minister, MP Marikkar said that on the previous day Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Minister Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle told Parliament that the COVID-19 virus would not spread through water as it was an airborne virus. Marikkar said: “The Minister said so in response to a question by an MP. What I am asking is whether the government would at least now allow the corpses of Muslim victims of COVID-19 to be buried.”

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that there was no point of order on the matter raised by the MP and warned him not to waste time in the House by raising questions that had no connection to the matters being debated.

However, Prime Minister Rajapaksa got onto his feet and said he would answer the MP’s question. He said permission would be granted to bury the bodies of Muslims.

On Tuesday, responding to a question raised by Anuradhapura District SJB MP Rohana Bandara, State Minister Dr. Fernandopulle said that the COVID virus was not transmitted through water. She said that COVID -19 was an airborne virus.

MP Bandara said that the government had not permitted the burial of COVID-19 victims fearing contamination of groundwater. The water used by COVID-19 patients at a treatment facility in Kebithigollewa, Anuradhapura was gushing into an area near a school, and students were seen playing with it, said the MP asking the Minister what action would be taken if that water posed a risk to the children.

Minister Dr Fernandopulle told him that coronavirus did not spread through water and it was only airborne. “We however will look into the matter you raised and ensure that none of the children would run health risks. There is no threat of COVID-19 infection but there could be other water-borne viruses in that water from the treatment centre.”