News
President suspends arrival of passengers from UK
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday suspended the arrival of passengers from the United Kingdom with immediate effect due to a new virulent strain of COVID-19 currently spreading across the UK.
The President’s Office said the decision had been taken at the daily meeting of the COVID-19 Prevention Committee at the Presidential Secretariat following a review of the new strain of the virus and its spread.
Passengers arriving here from the UK on Tuesday will be accommodated at hotels after conducting PCR tests and for 14 days under the supervision of the health officials. They will be further subjected to 14 more days of home quarantine.
The crew members of cargo flights inbound from London are also subjected to quarantine.The President drew the attention of the COVID Committee to the need to expedite the introduction of the COVID vaccine to Sri Lanka.
COVID vaccines have been developed by a number of countries led by the US, Russia, UK and China. The Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga was authorised to coordinate necessary action in consultation with the relevant countries and local health authorities after an in-depth study of the vaccine.
The groups to be vaccinated will be determined based on the need and priority. It was also decided to collect data on high risk areas including estates, flats and hostels and groups.
Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi, State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle, Member of Parliament Madura Vithana, Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, officials of the airport and aviation and members of the COVID Prevention Committee were also present.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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