News

Covid figures: Govt. accused of misleading the country

Published

5 years ago

2021/04/23

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) yesterday claimed that State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals, Prof. Channa Jayasumana was making statements on new strains of SARS-CoV-2 without any scientific proof.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Prof. Jayasumana said that there had been an increase in the spread of Covid virus in the country, especially among the young people and that was due to a new strain of the virus.

President of the CMLS, Ravi Kumudesh said: “The Minister claimed they were doing a research on this. As far as we know, neither the Ministry nor the University of Sri Jayewardenepura has done any research to identify this new strain. The Ministry of Health stopped identifying new variants a long time ago.”

The Ministry of Health could neither plan for new variants of COVID-19 nor determine what vaccine was effective as it simply didn’t have the equipment to identify new strains, Kumudesh said, adding that identifying COVID-19 variants across the country had been outsourced to the University of Sri Jayawardenepura.

“I have repeatedly said that the Health Ministry officials can’t make science and evidence-based decisions or statements on new strains. Institutions under the Health Ministry do not have the ability to identify new strains of the coronavirus; only the University of Sri Jayewardenepura has a gene sequencing machine. We said this was having a disastrous impact on the country’s pandemic response and here we are,.”

Kumudesh said that identifying various strains of COVID-19 was essential to respond to the pandemic as everything from PCR testing to selecting a vaccine, depended on that.

“There are a number of strains of the virus in the world now and we now know that the new variant that led to a lockdown in the UK is here. We have to be ready to identify what strains are coming.”

Kumudesh said that since the country had opened its airports people from various countries would arrive, carrying new strains. He added that there might also be a new strain that originated here without “our knowledge because we don’t do adequate gene sequencing.

“To identify new variants, we must sequence the genes of viruses detected through PCR testing. We need many gene sequencing machines because one cannot identify new strains through a PCR test. However, the Ministry of Health has not provided a single gene sequencing machine to labs under its purview.”

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Cabinet approves implementation of National Strategic Action tion Plan to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Human Beings – 2026- 2030

Published

5 mins ago

2026/01/6

Priyan

Sri Lanka has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention against Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Combat Trafficking in Persons, especially against Women and Children, which is a treaty for the enforcement of its provisions.

Accordingly, the National Task Force on Trafficking in Persons was established in 2010 for the coordination of institutions that are interested and actively involved in the prevention of
trafficking in persons. The aforementioned task force has been operating in terms of the action plan prepared for a definite period, and the period of the final national strategic action plan for the period 2021-2025 has ended on 31-12-2025.

Therefore, having reviewed the progress of the aforementioned action plan. The national strategic action plan for the period 2026-2030 has been prepared with the consensus and knowledge of all relevant parties, consisting of four approaches:
protection, litigation (complaints), and partnership.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister
of Defense, to implement the aforementioned national strategic action plan.

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21,514 persons remain at 225 safety centers as at 10AM today [06]

Published

16 mins ago

2026/01/6

Priyan

The situation report issued by the Disaster Management 1000hrs today [06th January 2026] confirms that 21,514 persons belonging to 6,592 family units who were displaced due to the floods and landslides are still at 225 safety centers.

Z total of 6,037 houses were destroyed while 108,476 houses were partially damaged due to floods and landslides.

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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya

Published

38 mins ago

2026/01/6

Priyan

The landslide early warning center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale, Monaragala and Nuwara Eliya in force from 1200hrs on 06th January to 1200hrs on 07th January 2026.

Accordingly,
Level III RED landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Udadumbara in the Kandy district, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district.

Level II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Kandaketiya in the Badulla district, Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha and Mathurata in the Nuwara Eliya district.

Level I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Hali_Ela, Badulla, Passara, Lunugala, Welimada and * Meegahakiwula in the Badulla district, Doluwa in the Kandy district, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale district, and Bibila in the Monaragala district.