News
Country on verge of community spread, warns GMOA
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lankan health sector would plunge into a crisis if a cluster larger than the one found at the Peliyagoda Fish Market emerged, Editor of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA,) Dr. Haritha Aluthge said.
Currently, Sri Lanka was dealing with several active COVID-19 clusters, Aluthge said. “The first was the Minuwangoda cluster, followed by the Peliyagoda Fish Market cluster. Clusters emerged from Agalawatte, Kuliyapitiya and now Kahathuduwa. All these clusters are still active. If we have another large cluster like the one at the Fish Market, we will be in serious trouble,” he said.
The relevant officials had a responsibility to ensure that other new clusters didn’t emerge, he said. “Every day close to 500 cases were detected and it was also obvious that most of the new detections were not directly linked to the Minuwangoda or Peliyagoda clusters.”
Dr. Aluthge said the country was on the verge of a community spread and unless drastic action was taken to curb the spread, the health system would be overwhelmed. If Sri Lanka reached the community spread stage, ICUs and hospitals would not be sufficient and deaths would rise exponentially, he said.
Three COVID-19 patients died on Monday bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 19.
On Monday, Head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama warned that if the situation was not brought under control urgently, the people who were prone to complications with pre-existing conditions would be in danger.
“This is what we saw on Tuesday. Those who died either had a pre-existing condition or were old. We have a lot of people with non-communicable diseases in this country. That is why health professionals have been urging those in power to take steps to curb NCDs.”
Latest News
Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura
The Landslide Early Warning Centre of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued early warnings to the Districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 1600hrs on 13th June 2026 till 1600hrs on 14th June 2026.
Accordingly,
LEVEL I (YELLOW) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surounding areas of Palindanuwara and Agalawatta in the Kalutara district, Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya and Ayagama, Pelmadulla,
Godakawela, Elapatha, Kalawana, Ratnapura and Nivithigala in the Ratnapura district.
News
INS Sharda departs Colombo concluding replenishment visit
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Sharda’ departed the island today (13 Jun 26), concluding her replenishment purposes.
On departure the vessel was accorded a traditional naval farewell by the Sri Lanka Navy at the Port of Colombo.
The visit also paved the way for vibrant personnel interactions, fostering camaraderie and goodwill. The crew of INS Sharda and personnel from the Sri Lanka Navy participated in a
friendly volleyball match and a joint yoga session. A
dditionally, Sri Lanka Navy personnel had the opportunity to visit the Indian naval vessel, while the visiting crew took time to explore several culturally significant landmarks across the island.
Latest News
Special Dengue Prevention Week declared in Colombo District from June 15 to 21
A decision has been taken to declare a Special Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 of June by the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee to curb the spread of the disease in the Colombo District.
This decision was taken at the meeting of the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee held on Friday (12) at the Colombo District Secretariat under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.
Compared to last year, the number of dengue cases reported this year has increased significantly. According to the National Dengue Control Unit, approximately 39,100 dengue cases have been reported island wide to date, of which 25.8% have been recorded in the Colombo District. Following this situation, the Colombo District has been identified as a high-risk district.
Health authorities informed that the increasing spread of the disease has been influenced not only by the nature of circulating virus but also to the lack of sufficient immunity among the population. They further noted that the recent period of heavy rainfall has aggravated the spread of Dengue.
It was also identified that the current outbreak is being reported more frequently from public places such as government institutions, private establishments, schools, and religious venues rather than from residential premises. Observations have identified improperly managed solid waste and drainage systems in offices and other public locations as major breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Accordingly, during the Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 June, a series of measures will be implemented, including, organising community clean-up campaigns in government and private institutions, schools, residential areas, and other public spaces; Conducting inspections of high-risk premises by Divisional Secretariats and taking legal action, where necessary, followed by awareness programmes; Distributing informational leaflets, displaying banners, and carrying out public awareness campaigns through the media. Health authorities also requested school administrations not to involve students below Grade 10 in school cleaning programmes and to immediately notify the relevant Medical Officer of Health (MOH) office if a student is diagnosed with dengue.
The programme is expected to receive the active support and participation of the district’s political leadership, religious leaders of all faiths, public officials, local government institutions, the tri-forces, the police, and the general public.
The event was attended by the Chairperson of the District Coordination Committee, Members of Parliament, representatives of local government authorities, government secretaries, police officers, and officials representing the education and health sectors, among others.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
-
News7 days agoWomen’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up: Chamari Athapaththu’s 94 helps Sri Lanka beat Pakistan
-
News7 days agoLankan-Canadian inducted to Toronto Sports Hall of Fame
-
Editorial6 days agoProbe Sallay’s complaint
-
News4 days agoLocal firms move millions of dollars overseas for phantom imports: Govt.
-
News2 days agoCIABOC summons Yoshitha over his participation in British Navy training programme
-
Editorial7 days agoPrez in the dock
-
Features7 days agoEntering MIT for my Ph.D program, coping with harsh Boston winter and breasting the tape
-
Midweek Review4 days agoJuly 09: An inexcusable overall security failure and exceptional contingency plan
