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Don’t be overconfident after receiving jab, SLMA tells public

Published

5 years ago

2021/07/22

The public must not think vaccination ensures their safety one hundred percent, Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) President, Dr Padma Gunaratne says.

Dr. Gunaratne said so addressing the media on Tuesday. She said the National Hospital, Colombo, treated about 200 new cases a day and about 100 of those needed oxygen support, and the current situation was similar to that before the imposition of travel restrictions.

Dr. Gunaratne said that the silver lining was the rapid pace of the vaccination drive. Sri Lanka was getting the best vaccines used in the world and the vaccination was done at a very rapid pace. However, Sri Lankans should not fully depend on the vaccine alone and should not think that they could lead normal lives after inoculation.

On the flipside, Sri Lanka was now dealing with the Delta variant, which was more contagious, the SLMA President said.

“30% of the cases detected in Colombo have delta, which is highly contagious and soon this percentage could rise to 50. Soon Delta will become the most dominant variant in the country. The question is how long will this take? Prof. Neelika Malawige’s lab doesn’t have the capacity to conduct countrywise studies. They can sequence 200 samples a month in selected areas. So, we can’t say how many Delta cases are there in SL but when we look at the world we know how fast Delta spreads,” Dr. Gunaratne said.

“Some people think that the country will be safe within eight weeks because of the pace of the vaccination. This too is a myth, she said. The vaccines will give some protection, and is our long term solution”, Dr. Gunaratne said.

For full protection of a vaccine, one needed to take both jabs and in Sri Lanka only 8% of people had got both jabs. Therefore most were not secure. 25% of people had got at least one jab but it was not enough, she said.

“One needs to get a second jab and then it will take two more weeks for antibodies to form. However even if we get both jabs, we can get the disease and then spread. There will always be new variants as well. However, we are very pleased with government fast tracking vaccination,” she said.

Given that the fourth wave would be dominated by the Delta variant elderly and people with chronic diseases should be especially vigilant, Dr. Gunaratne said. All elderly persons and those with chronic diseases should get vaccinated.

“However, even if they get both jabs they are still in high risk categories. We urge them to be safe. Don’t get caught in the fourth wave,” she warned.

Dr. Gunaratne said that the number of actual daily cases should be around 10,000 because on an average 50 people were dying. Sri Lanka needed to focus on selected restrictions, vaccination and implementing health guidelines to ensure lives were protected while the economy was kept humming.

“People are against heavy restrictions, they want to work. But when we open up and try to hit a balance, numbers will go up. We have to tell people this. The people must know the government has opened up sectors not because there is 100% safety but because the government knows the importance of livelihood. People should know that weddings, religious places, cinemas can lead to clusters. They must be careful when they are in crowds,” Dr. Gunaratne said.

Given that the number of cases will rise, the government must strengthen the initiatives to treat asymptotic cases at home. If asymptomatic cases can be treated at home, there will be enough room for moderate and serious cases in hospitals. Also, the COVID-19 cases with chronic diseases must be hospitalised, she said.

“Some people tell us that most developed countries are opening up and ask us why we aren’t opening up. They say that Singapore is open. We are not like Singapore that can do as many PCR tests as they want, they can trace contacts easily and fast through apps and they have other ways of managing the virus. We don’t have that here. So we have to be more careful,” Dr. Gunaratne said.

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President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority

Published

28 mins ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.

Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.

Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.

(PMD)

News

CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

33 mins ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.

Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).

Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.

(PMD)

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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.

As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.

The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]